Godot’s Silence: A Permanent Site-Specific Installation at Florida International University, Green Library, University Park, Miami, FL. 2003.

The play “Waiting for Godot” by Samuel Beckett was written in the aftermath of World War II at a time when assumptions that man was a rational being seemed misplaced and many questioned our system of human values. The play sought to dramatize the breakdown of narrative structures and linguistic conventions while emphasizing the fragility of our material world.

In this photographic installation, the artist examines an alternative language of communication, one that goes beyond the verbal and written word: signing. He references Beckett’s powerful play in an image of the signed letters G-O-D-O-T. Opening the exhibit in FIU’s Green Library — a space traditionally associated with silence and that “talks” without a “voice” to those who seek knowledge — the artist takes implicit advantage of the library’s role to enhance our understanding and extend our intellectual boundaries.

Text courtesy of FIU The Gallery at Green Library