Proustification (Hiraeth) (2020)

Videoinstallation, hard disk drive with video ca 22 h, projector, foldable metalcase as projector support, notebooks

 

The work consists of a long video where I translate Du côté de chez Swann, the first volume of Proust´s “Recherches” from French into German without prior preparation. I hadn´t read or looked at the book before; there are recurring pauses, breaks and lingering while I speak. It is always in the same room and from the same perspective.

The very beginning question for that work was how and to what kind (and to what amount) of material a thing aggregates, which is regarded as entirely virtual and immaterial like the process of a language transfer. Therefore, having some sort of own presentation system became relevant.

As a carrier the metalcase conta- ins all the media and devices, unfolded it serves as a stand for the mini-beamer, the headphones, hard disk drive and notebooks.

The notebooks are adapted to every exhibition situation; they hold notes about the creation-process and are printed out as faksimili each time while the texts become translated into the main language of where the exhibition takes places.