STRANGE STRANGERS
Video installation in the the group show Freshly Squeezed at Institute of Contemporary Art, LaSalle College of the Arts, Singapore, 2016.
In this installation, preconceived notions of landscapes and the non-human world are challenged by deconstructing and presenting a forestscape through various elements. Some elements are actual physical objects from specific forests (the sticks), while others are representations (the video and crumpled photos).
Single channel video projection, wooden sticks from various forests, crumpled paper photo prints of forest landscapes (Bukit Timah and MacRitchie Nature Reserves in Singapore and Mølleskov in Denmark.
The forest photographs are uniquely displayed as three-dimensional objects on the floor, resembling balls that invite interaction rather than traditional wall-mounted photos. This unconventional presentation encourages viewers to engage with the images in a playful manner.
The video projection, Strange Strangers, captures slow-motion footage just above the ground, recorded during a twilight wander through a Scandinavian forest. Utilizing the iPhone's camera as both a torch and a tool for perceiving the environment, this recording seeks to explore and enhance curiosity towards the non-human world. By employing time-based recordings like slow motion, the video reveals the surroundings in unusual and captivating ways.
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The title Strange Strangers is inspired by eco-philosopher Timothy Morton's concept of non-human creatures as ambiguous entities—beings that cannot be fully understood or labeled, possessing agency and vitality beyond human comprehension.
By assembling these strange strangers, both in their physical forms and as representations, the installation invites the audience to reimagine ideas of landscapes and the non-human world.
Single channel HD video, 16:9 aspect ratio, colour, stereo, 3:39 mins.