Chekhov's Gun

About

The six artists in Chekhov's Gun tease the audience's expectations using highly crafted decoys, plot twists and distractions. ‘Chekhov's Gun' is the term for a narrative device that indicates anything that initially seems unimportant within the narrative structure but is subsequently discovered to have a definite purpose. Its inclusion is coldly logical. Another narrative device, the MacGuffin, has precisely the opposite qualities — it is something of outward importance that is later found to have none: the red herring. Its true function lies in the reaction it provokes and the motivation it provides to the characters who encounter it. Within the artists' works in Chekhov's Gun we see mysterious objects whose purpose is unclear, actions that are shown as inconsequential and the dividing line between finished work and its backstage construction is revealed. Each ‘prop' or narrative may have a single ultimate purpose but simultaneously holds the promise of a plethora of outcomes.