In many parts of the world, particularly in the United States and Germany, there has been a significant rise in the number of representations of the Holocaust over the past twenty years. As we get farther away from the time of the event and as survivors pass away, there becomes an increasing need and desire to represent the past, so that future generations will never forget. In the United States and Germany, the Holocaust has become an important part of national memory, and throughout the world, it has become an iconic representation of human pain and suffering. However, this increase in representations may be leading to a greater level of collective forgetting in the Western World. If overexposure may lead to desensitization, how can we re-engage people?
The non-image of photography may be one way of understanding and approaching this issue. The non-image is the virtual photograph; it is that which has not been taken. The non-image of photography is one model of memorialization that allows room for reflection and engagement. The virtual photograph calls attention to the images that already exist and the effects that our picture taking may have in the future. Shedding light on the politics of photography and viewer-ship, the non-image reminds us of how photography may be used for a spectrum of different purposes and how we affect the world both as photographers and viewers. The non-image also reminds us that photographs are catalysts for remembering and that the act of remembering is always highly personal. This model of memorialization may be used to understand other mediums of representation and may also be effective for understanding how we may memorialize other tragic events.
We would like to create an installation that embodies the non-image and the politics of photography. Our installation will be an interactive piece seeking to engage viewers in the dialogue on the Holocaust, media, and memory. The installation will involve one computer, one or more projectors, one video camera, and four speakers. The spectator will enter the installation and be presented with the sights, sounds and text generated by previous spectators. This multimedia environment will engage the spectator to take part in the installation by interacting with the computer, which will have a user interface to further engage the user and encourage participation. Outside of the room be an artist statement, informing the spectator a brief statement of intent and instructions on navigating the installation.
While interacting with the computer, participant will be presented with a number of words accessed through the internet from various holocaust-related websites. These words will first be generated by Melissa and I to provide some artistic constructs for the spectator, however, they will then add to the list of terms based on their navigation of the content. Through this interaction, the user will essentially be in control of what is being represented, although the content will still be artistically mediated. Based on the words that the user will choose from the interface, text and images will then be projected on the wall based on their choice.
Drawing attention to issues of viewership and voyeurism, a live video feed will also be projected of the participant's interaction within the installation. This projection will be in juxtaposition to the other media elements already present in the installation. The live video feed should ideally be placed in a way so that it will be inconspicuous to the viewer upon entry. Adding to this issue of surveillance, a microphone within the computer will record the participant's interactions in real-time to be processed and played back through the speakers placed throughout the room. This element of the installation will make itself apparent only after the user has had enough time to react to what they are experiencing.
3 comments:
When I first heard about the project, it seemed like it would be interesting, but I didn't realize how difficul it is, until we talked about it in class! I think it's impressive how you've decided to work with such a difficult project... that's courage. It will be fascinating to see how this works out.
Is it even possible to make an artistic statement that stands alone from the message being presented? I guess that was brought up in class. I don't know if it's really possible, or even desirable in this situation. But we'll see.
nah, the artist statement won't stand alone, but it will probably be placed at the entrance to inform the user before they enter. i think that artist statements are vital in a lot of works of art. minor details...
yeah, it seems more important here to accomplish your goal, which is to kind of remove misconceptions, clarify, and illuminate that historical event. If people went away with a more clear knowledge of the "intangibles" of that historical knowledge then you'd have been successful... yeah. good luck.
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