Riddles (Jaws)

Riddles is an installation that reimagines the animal-human figure of the Sphinx originating in Ancient Egypt and Greece. A mythical creature with lion, eagle and woman parts, the Sphinx was famous for being a fearsome protector that devoured anyone who could not solve her riddle. Issuing from Marguerite’s hypothesis that modern-day security protocols – such as those at borders and checkpoints – directly descend from the Sphinx, Riddles involves a complex network of metal gates fitted with speakers and ‘all-seeing’ glass eyes. The artwork was created through Marguerite’s close consultation with automation engineers and security system specialists. Though devised to be hypersensitive, reacting to near-imperceptible movement, Riddles is modelled upon the ‘black box’ technologies that conceal their inner workings, betraying nothing. When triggered by human presence, Riddles responds with a symphony of lights, metal clicking and the sound of crunching bones. Though the Sphinx once oversaw the access between two worlds, the enigmatic installation, on the other hand, appears to guard only itself.