"fly or die "
installation and video
january 2007
oliver kunkel

A 2.5-meter-high fence keeps us outside of the area of 4 square meters. The inner is a video projected on one of the walls, which seems to tries to hide from the audience. The sound from the hidden tries to lure the viewer and is giving ideas of what is happening inside. A voice describes the action which is not yet visible, and lures the recipient to approach the installation. Prolonged looking at the installation is offering a small space between the boards of the fence, which provides a peak into the inner of the space. The voyeurism is underscored by its shameless approach of the beholder and finds himself seduced by snatching the slots of the fence to take a look.

A daily repeating drama is been shown, totally natural procedures of course, but the seen scenario disapproves our humanist eye, which activates regret and helplessness.

One weakness is the consequence, if not caused by the direct examination of the shown images, then by imagined pictures which work as metaphor. An intervention is not possible, strengthened by the physical limitations preclude us, the distance to the event, even through the imaginary „wall“ of the virtual video images to us incapacitating barrier. Curiosity as a natural protection system of human works to keep him from harm, to us again and again confirm our integrity, it is collected and used by producers (television) and manipulate virtual moving images, without giving us the opportunity to respond to. Using cutting technique and the corresponding images are influencing our feelings, to stand and act in order to allow us to want to offer without the possibility of interference. The video is found footage.

An animal documentation we all might have seen before, describes the daily struggle for survival of young birds go either directly to the underlying laws of nature, or act for themselves, through their superiority and to push their own advantage at the expense of the same species. An inhumane behaviour to us from nature affects us, our socialized irritated eyes. (I have to admid that the following text is automaticly translated, and if nessesary there is also the german version or the effort possible to make a professional translation.)