Inner emptiness
An inner emptiness. Numbness. Lonely amongst many. How is depression perceived?
An attempt to portray this abstract theme on several sensory levels.
A study project by Vincenz Adler, Furkan Gülüs, Joshua Knapp and Vincent Ruhl, 4th semester, 2021
Supervising lecturers: Owi Mahn, Michael Rieker
The theme of depression is explored. To narrow the scope, we have identified several aspects of depression that we wish to examine. These include the feeling of inner emptiness and the urge to express oneself, yet being unable to do so.
To make such a complex topic more tangible, the installation follows the various phases that are often observed. This structure allows the space to be divided into several sections. In our project, we have focused on the first room.
Only one person at a time should enter the installation. When suffering from depression, one often feels very lonely and abandoned; this feeling is also intended to be evoked in the viewer, who is unable to communicate with another person whilst viewing the installation.
The room shows an empty, dark office with several desks lined up along the walls. All the desks are tidy, except for one, which stands in the middle of the room. This is the desk of the protagonist(s) as they enter the room. Notes are strewn haphazardly across it, rubbish lies on the floor and the light is still on.
You enter the room via a corridor and cannot leave until you have completed the task. This involves carrying a book from your own desk to a table further back in the room. But once the book has been placed on the table, a new one appears on one’s own desk, and the task repeats itself several times. It is not clear how many times this will happen, so pressure builds on the people to finally succeed, but they fail time and again without knowing why.
The room has been given its own sound design, and the elements have been set to sound accordingly. This was initially intended to create a realistic atmosphere. These sounds overlap with the music and interact with one another. We recorded snippets of speech that can be heard from all directions. These say negative things that urge you to put the book down again and again, whilst at the same time making you feel bad because you can’t manage it.
Musically, we work with several drone sounds that can be looped. The music builds upon itself, which is why, although you can hear a crescendo, you do not lose the sense of cohesion. In addition to the drone sounds, we use a prepared piano. These sounds can also evoke a certain sense of unease in the audience.
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