PRESYNCOPE

‘Look at the shadows/ An abstract painting/ And that sun/ What a beautiful day/ How wonderfully short life is/ It is so dense that I can see everything clearly now/ Anything that dies has had some kind of aim/ A bit dizzy/ I'm not in the right place/ I cannot rid myself of the feeling that I’m not in the right place/ Time is out of scale/ A lot of space/ That void/ Ridiculous/ I can see myself/ Look at me/ And again that solitude [...] They are so small/ That's how it will be/ Standing outside my own body/ A body, a head, a forehead/ Touching my own forehead/ Insurance/ Sure One hopes one did not forget to pay this month/ No/ Security [...] I would love to slap my forehead/ All clear now/ All light/ All clear [...] I have never seen a hand with the separate fingers so sharply differentiated from each other/ a face grown quite old out of fear/ And now again/ All over/ Restart Look at the sun.’
From: PRESYNCOPE (K, a Society)

PRESYNCOPE

In the projection PRESYNCOPE we see a ‘travel’ of approximately 15 minutes. The camera slowly and steadily slides down the façade of a very tall office block. It is pointed towards the ground, approaching it slowly. At the foot of the office block is a fountain. We hear the calm voice of someone describing his thoughts and impressions during the fall. This inner monologue contains scraps of memories from the lifetime that preceded the fall. Trivial details of the previous workday, strange reflections on falling and the world… The ‘travel’ stops when the camera reaches the foot of the building, almost touching the water.
'Presyncope' is a state consisting of lightheadedness, muscular weakness, and feeling faint (as opposed to a syncope, which is actually fainting). Pre-syncope does not result from primary central nervous system pathology, nor does it originate in the inner ear, but is most often cardiovascular in etiology. In many patients, lightheadedness is a symptom of orthostatic hypotension. Orthostatic hypotension occurs when blood pressure drops significantly when the patient stands from a supine or sitting position. If loss of consciousness occurs in this situation, it is termed syncope. (source: Wikipedia)
PRESYNCOPE is also part of the circuit installation K, a Society (2010).
« In K, a Society, Verdonck constructs a multimedia realm with the sinister nature that is typical of Kafka's literary world and which increasingly applies to our own society. The basic theme of the various installations is the social isolation in which many people end up as a result (paradoxically) of excessive communication technology. In these installations, Verdonck flits rapidly between social criticism, humour and impressive aesthetics. He shows himself to be a master at handling the film camera and sources of light and sound (from fire to electricity). ... While the beauty of the images is fascinating, their undertone is disturbing. Verdonck shows how technologisation can lead to a falsification of emotions and experience. »
Els Van Steenberghe on Knack.be, 21/07/2010
« Kris Verdonck drew his inspiration from the work of Franz Kafka. It is not a visualisation or illustration of the author's work, but a very successful visual conception of a world that 'breathes Kafka's oeuvre'. ... As we move from one installation to the next, we experience immanent images that are also playful. The menace may occasionally be arch, but it remains oppressive. And, however ambiguously, we experience an aesthetic pleasure in this visual representation of systems that oppress people in a 'Kafkaesque' manner. It is as if we awoke from a nightmare with a satisfied smile. It was distressing, but it also had an elusive beauty. »
Tuur Devens in Theatermaggezien, 02/04/2011

Credits

Concept & direction: Kris Verdonck
Dramaturgy: Marianne Van Kerkhoven (Kaaitheater)
Voice-over: Jonathan Burrows/ Jobst Schnibbe / Tawny Andersen / Hendrik De Smedt / Jean-Benoît Ugeux
Camera and editing: Vincent Pinckaers
Sound design: Thomas Turine
Construction: Dries Leerschool
Image processing: Massimiliano Simbula
Production: A Two Dogs Company
Production manager: Hendrik De Smedt
Production assistent: Karolien De Bleser
Administrator: Han De Meulemeester
Co-production: Theater der Welt 2010 (DE), Transdigital (Interreg), Kunstencentrum Vooruit (BE), Productiehuis Rotterdam / Rotterdamse Schouwburg (NL), Kaaitheater (BE)
In partnership with: Schauspiel Essen (DE), Le manège.mons (BE) and Technocité (BE) in the frame of Transdigital
With the support of: the Flemish Authorities, the Flemish Community Commission (VGC), the Brussels Capital Region
Thanks to: Marc Leunens, Heidi Janssens & rvp

A Two Dogs Company VZW

PRESYNCOPE

Agenda

PRESYNCOPE

Credits