I read and at the same time I hear a voice in my head; words about humanity's achievements, of human rights and our unsheathing from the beast. But the voice in my head narrates something different making it impossible to comprehend the exact meaning of t
The Modern Book of Cynics
Description/Concept The book as a medium is considered to be silent, yet the reader always creates a voice within his head while reading. The Modern Book of Cynics explores and exploits such attributes of the mediumship of the reader. Its statement derives both by exploiting the sensual functionality during the process of reading but also from the conceptual elements that unfold while experiencing it. The artwork provokes a conflict within the reader's head. This conflict is achieved by placing the individual within a situation of perceptual confusion. The text is displayed on a screen where the words appear at reading speed so that the individual may read comfortably. Words and phrases are succeeded by those that follow, encouraging the reader to focus on the act of reading. At the same time the reader listens to a narration. The narration is perfectly synchronized and in absolute unison with the displayed text, following it in speed and rhythm. This physically simulates the imaginary voice which usually a reader creates within his head. This voice though is actually narrating a different text. As a result a perceptual confusion is created, which enables the text to become almost unreadable and incomprehensible. The Modern Book of Cynics is not the written text neither the narrated one. It is the whole of the reading experience it suggests, and its message is communicated through the feelings it creates. The written text consists of the UN's universal declaration of human rights while the audible text is a manicure, hair-care and pubic hair removal tutorial. The use of these texts has been chosen so that the Modern Book of Cynics manages to make a statement; Something so important as the human rights manifest is clouded by a text which is used as an archetype to represent a modern westernized way of life of a consuming society; a society where confusion regarding values, virtues and importances exists even if unnoticed. By using these texts and within the incapability of the individual to focus in any of them, the created inner conflict expresses the way modern society perceives and distinguishes the importance of things, or how the urban contemporary way of living misdirects the individual, not allowing him or her to focus on what is supposed to be important. The Modern Book of Cynics, as its title suggests, explores with sarcasm the true position of the individual within a field of responsibility. Design/Presentation The artwork is in video format which must be played back in loop mode. Despite the fact that the reading/hearing process is in a linear format, the Modern Book of Cynics makes its statement through an internal process which is provoked within the reader and so it is not important which part of the book is read, therefore the reader may interact with the work at his own time and convenience. The visual elements of the environment must be minimal (white text on black screen) and the room where the screen is located must be dark and isolated, so that attention will be attracted to the appearing text. Seats must be available for the audience and positioned within reading distance in front of the screen and the loudspeakers that will diffuse the audio part of the book. Demo version*: http://vimeo.com/24121265 * This is not the final artwork, but a demonstration of the idea. © Luc Messinezis, Athens 2012
I read and at the same time I hear a voice in my head; words about humanity's achievements, of human rights and our unsheathing from the beast. But the voice in my head narrates something different making it impossible to comprehend the exact meaning of t
The Modern Book of Cynics
Description/Concept The book as a medium is considered to be silent, yet the reader always creates a voice within his head while reading. The Modern Book of Cynics explores and exploits such attributes of the mediumship of the reader. Its statement derives both by exploiting the sensual functionality during the process of reading but also from the conceptual elements that unfold while experiencing it. The artwork provokes a conflict within the reader's head. This conflict is achieved by placing the individual within a situation of perceptual confusion. The text is displayed on a screen where the words appear at reading speed so that the individual may read comfortably. Words and phrases are succeeded by those that follow, encouraging the reader to focus on the act of reading. At the same time the reader listens to a narration. The narration is perfectly synchronized and in absolute unison with the displayed text, following it in speed and rhythm. This physically simulates the imaginary voice which usually a reader creates within his head. This voice though is actually narrating a different text. As a result a perceptual confusion is created, which enables the text to become almost unreadable and incomprehensible. The Modern Book of Cynics is not the written text neither the narrated one. It is the whole of the reading experience it suggests, and its message is communicated through the feelings it creates. The written text consists of the UN's universal declaration of human rights while the audible text is a manicure, hair-care and pubic hair removal tutorial. The use of these texts has been chosen so that the Modern Book of Cynics manages to make a statement; Something so important as the human rights manifest is clouded by a text which is used as an archetype to represent a modern westernized way of life of a consuming society; a society where confusion regarding values, virtues and importances exists even if unnoticed. By using these texts and within the incapability of the individual to focus in any of them, the created inner conflict expresses the way modern society perceives and distinguishes the importance of things, or how the urban contemporary way of living misdirects the individual, not allowing him or her to focus on what is supposed to be important. The Modern Book of Cynics, as its title suggests, explores with sarcasm the true position of the individual within a field of responsibility. Design/Presentation The artwork is in video format which must be played back in loop mode. Despite the fact that the reading/hearing process is in a linear format, the Modern Book of Cynics makes its statement through an internal process which is provoked within the reader and so it is not important which part of the book is read, therefore the reader may interact with the work at his own time and convenience. The visual elements of the environment must be minimal (white text on black screen) and the room where the screen is located must be dark and isolated, so that attention will be attracted to the appearing text. Seats must be available for the audience and positioned within reading distance in front of the screen and the loudspeakers that will diffuse the audio part of the book. Demo version*: http://vimeo.com/24121265 * This is not the final artwork, but a demonstration of the idea. © Luc Messinezis, Athens 2012