FORBIDDEN FRUIT (2019)

Video installation, looped. 5'16''

Showcased at a self-initiated exhibition at Keilepand (Rotterdam).

Many thanks to Jaihoun Habibi for all all-around help.

We live in a fast-paced life where technology accompanies us at every step, promising us to make life easier and more efficient. But does it truly help, or does it slowly destroy our human experience? We live so fast that we have no time anymore. We seem to be connected more closely than ever with the help of all the devices but we lack a simple person-to-person contact. Technological advances are supposed to free up creative thinking but the mass of the information destroyed our ability to focus. We have less time to reflect on anything because of a need to act, need to be online, to always check the (un)necessary information. We are distracted all the time and do not notice the details. Technology that is aimed at freeing us — often enslaves us.

In Forbidden Fruit, I employ the Tableau Vivant technique as a counterbalance to this overwhelming pace of life.  The stillness of Tableau Vivant aesthetics allows viewers' eyes and minds to roam freely within the frame, undistracted by rapid cuts or camera movements, much like observing a painting.  The deliberate stillness mirrors the need to step away from the intense pace of our everyday life. However, the tranquility is interrupted by the harsh sound of a ringing phone, symbolizing how technology constantly interrupts our lives. This interruption becomes a reflection of our "sick" society, ruled by the constant temptation to check our devices. 

Tableau Vivant technique in film is a very in-between medium that bridges past and future, and merges painting and film. In a world dominated by speed and instant information, I believe, our "futuristic" society would benefit from a return to a slower, more reflective time, where minds were roaming free, without constant stimulation.

Full video upon request.