4D Fdn II: Visualisation for expanded cinema

Are we really living? 

In this setting, we created a commentary towards the take on life, on how fast paced you are, of how much you are constantly moving, constantly working, constantly trying to do more.

Are you really living life to the fullest? When was the last time you stopped and look at the sky? The last time you took a big breath not because of the large amount of work, but of the smell morning brings?

1

2

3

Equipment: 3 projectors, sound amplifier.

  1. You see Fast paced people walking (orchard road, CBD area, north spine)
  2. The sound is jarringly loud, the clutter of life feels as though they are trying to grab you into their scene.
  3. A black screen hits you without warning and the sound stops.
  4. Your ears are trying to get used to it.
  5. A series of peaceful and relaxing video appear, sunrise, slow paced people walking, etc.

What would you regret most if you died now?

What does happiness mean to you? A high rank in your career, money to spend without a care in the world or a beautiful house?

Close your eyes and imagine that you’re at your own funeral—a bit morbid I know, but there’s a reason for it. Now think about what you’d like people to say about you. What kind of a life do you want to lead? People die with all kinds of regrets. Don’t be one of them.

In a website we found which asked people what they regret the most, these are 20 that was listed here.

  1. I wish I’d cared less about what other people think.
  2. I wish I had accomplished more.
  3. I wish I had told __ how I truly felt.
  4. I wish I had stood up for myself more.
  5. I wish I had followed my passion in life.
  6. I wish our last conversation hadn’t been an argument.
  7. I wish I had let my children grow up to be who they wanted to be.
  8. I wish I had lived more in the moment.
  9. I wish I had worked less.
  10. I wish I had traveled more.
  11. I wish I had trusted my gut rather than listening to everyone else.
  12. I wish I’d taken better care of myself.
  13. I wish I’d taken more risks.
  14. I wish I’d had more time.
  15. I wish I hadn’t worried so much.
  16. I wish I’d appreciated ___ more.
  17. I wish I’d spent more time with my family.
  18. I wish I hadn’t taken myself so seriously.
  19. I wish I’d done more for other people.
  20. I wish I could have felt happier.

We realise that many of them are of relationships and thought that we could tackle on it more.

4

Equipments: 2 Projector, Sound amblifier, table, black rose.

The sound would be of people reading out what their regrets are, similarly like listening from the point of view of the dead.

Since the sound is so in your face, we thought that the other elements could be more symbolic, and that is why we added the black rose and even moth on the screen since they are traditionally taught to be “your relative visiting you”. 


No phone zone.

We unadmittedly are addicted to the little pieces of metal we have in our hands. Taking that into account, we wanted to make a commentary about that issue.

No Phone Zone logos

  1. Before you enter the room, there would be a box to deposit your phone, there is also a number lock for it just in case you don’t feel safe with it lying around outside.
  2. You enter and you see people’s faces hanging around the room, and even pasted or projected on the wall.

It is a really in your face style that shouts out to people HEY LOOK AT MY FACE. Have some real human interaction.

Thank you! 😀

4D Fdn II: Appropriation (Allie Mac Burroughs)

  1. Why can’t artist simply make his own content? Analyse why and how the remake critiques the original. How do the artists view their own works in relation to others?
  2. Think hard about the material interpretation, motivation of the artist, viewing and social context and the reaction to all.
  3. Is it ok to copy and reuse materials of others in contemporary art? It is a necessary evil to critique a particular issue or status quo.

alliemcburroughs

In 1933, Walker Evans creates a photographic series depicting a family of workers during the Great Depression. Some of these images, such as the untitled portrait of Allie Mac Burroughs, became an icon in the history of photography, as well as symbol of the Great Depression.

In 1981, appropriating artist Sherrie Levine exhibited in New York her photographic series called After Walker Evans. Levine photographed the famous series of Walker Evans directly from an exhibition catalogue.

In 2001, another artist, Michael Mandiberg scanned and posted online the photos that Sherrie Levine appropriated from Walker Evans. He also created a website entitled aftersherrielevine.com, where the photos appropriated by Sherrie Levine once protected by copyright become available for further appropriation by any user of the website.


This fact applies entirely in the instance of appropriators such as Levine or Mandiberg and helps us understand that they do not, in fact, really go against the Foucaultian understanding of the author’s death. It is true, however, that their work seems in fact to reinforce and reaffirm the artist’s authorial function rather than undermine it. ‘Who is speaking’, namely whether it is Levine or Mandiberg, is, indeed, not only important, but imperative. Levine and Mandiberg are Foucaultian followers in as much as they prove through their undertaking that the author is nothing but a function of the text, a label, or in Agamben’s terms, a gesture.

The appropriators use the Foucaultian distinction as part of their tactics. The author function is, according to Foucault “characteristic of the modes of existence, circulation and functioning of certain discourses within a society”. He works also as a sort of projection “of the operations that we force texts to undergo, the connections that we make, the traits that we establish as pertinent, the continuities that we recognize or the exclusions that we practice”. The appropriators have assimilated this lesson by acknowledging the fact that by changing the name, one changes the way we operate on the texts, the connections and exclusions we rush to create.

 

4D Fdn II: Narrative Continued (Ex. 2)

The Chorus (2004)

I chose one of my a favorite movies for this assignment, “the chorus” directed by Christophe Barratier. It is an adaptation of the 1945 film A Cage of Nightingales

Summery

The plot involves the widely successful orchestra conductor Pierre Morhange, who returns to France when his mother dies. He reminisces about his childhood inspirations when he and his former classmate Pépinot read the diary of their old music teacher Clément Mathieu. In 1949, a young Morhange is the badly behaved son of single mother Violette. He attends the boarding institution for “difficult” boys, Fond de L’Étang (“Bottom of the Pond”), presided over by strict headmaster Mr Rachin. New teacher Mathieu brightens up the school and assembles a choir, leading to the discovery of Morhange’s musical and physical talents and a transformation in the children.

Theme

From the movie, I feel it touched a lot about human interaction and relationships, there is a recurring direction of the film which I interpret it as “everyone need someone to believe in them”.

  • The music teacher Mathieu believing in the rebellious class. Vice-versa the class believing in him back to protect them from the headmaster.
  • The janitor trusting that the kids didn’t hurt him on purpose.
  • Morhange’s talent discovered by Mathieu even after being tremendously difficult to deal with.
  • Pépinot believing in Mathieu to care for him as a guardian.