Valhalla

Originally created for the 52nd Venice Biennale (La Biennale di Venezia) in 2007, Callum Morton’s awe-inspiring installation Valhalla was acquired for the TarraWarra Museum of Art collection in 2016.

Conceived in the wake of the destructive conflict in Afghanistan and prompted by the artist’s discovery that his childhood home, designed by his architect father, had been pulled down by its new owners, Valhalla is a three-quarter scale remake of the original residence in ruin. 

While the exterior surface of Morton’s Valhalla is charred and crumbled as a result of some terrifying incident, the interior is a pristine corporate foyer, an antechamber for the visitor. By pushing the lift button, the lobby is transformed into a darkened space haunted by anxious sounds that nevertheless tilt towards a macabre humour. Valhalla becomes a state of mind—an anxiety about the destruction of life, and the loss of a sense of place. A further expression of the work is activated intermittently, usually at dusk, when smoke and lights appear to escape through the crevices of the ruined façade.

Please note Valhalla may be closed during inclement weather.