Empire of Light

Videoinstallation, 2009

The room is dark. You have to move with caution to avoid the risk of tripping. The subtle sounds of rain and traffic in the distance sweep the room and creates a sense of being somewhere else. A bed and some bedroom furniture is placed in a vacuum. A white lamp emits a pale light. In the bed a few people are sleeping. They are not visible but you can hear their breathing if you are close enough. It is the hours near dawn.

A projection appears on the lamp when you have walked into the room and around the bed. It shows a blue sky with clouds and white clouds. Pieces of text are sliding over the surface and forming an endless litany of "I want". Sometimes the projection fade away. Then some words shine from the lamp itself. It is a motto from the Boy Scouts which you are meant to use if you get lost.

The installation is dealing with the individual's difficulty to among their own and others' expectations, identify their own life goals and aspirations. Is individualism really possible in a society that dictates your wishes? Is longing to be a person of my own my own desire?