Vertigo

​

The project "Vertigo" was conceptualized with the aim of comprehending the intrinsic state of human beings, namely "anxiety," within an existential framework. Its overarching objective was to reassess the ontological yearning for falling that arises from such anxiety, thereby offering solace to individuals grappling with existential despair.

"Vertigo" represents an endeavour to explore the manner in which individuals, thrust into the world and confronted with existence, should confront the pervasive feelings of "anxiety" elucidated in Sartre's seminal work, "Being and Nothingness," as well as the ontological context expounded in Heidegger's magnum opus, "Being and Time." Concurrently, it strives to accentuate these themes through the adaptation of a specific segment from Milan Kundera's novel, "The Unbearable Lightness of Being," by means of two distinct artistic outputs: a video-based installation and a film.

This artistic endeavour places significant emotional emphasis on the dream sequences involving the main character, Tereza, in Milan Kundera's literary masterpiece, "The Unbearable Lightness of Being," thereby bringing to the forefront the existential "anxiety" that permeates the narrative. The presentation unfolds through the projection of two videos, strategically displayed on both the walls and ceilings. The audience experiences the work through the process of following the flow of Teresa's emotions in the cited part of the novel. The initial video projected on the wall serves to evoke introspection and prompts existential inquiries regarding its own existence. It portrays Tereza, who tries to preserve his own existence amidst the looming threat of its erosion. The character of Tereza becomes consumed by anxiety as he confronts the potential loss of the very foundations of his being. Once the video projected on the wall concludes, attention shifts to the ceiling, where a subsequent video begins its projection. To observe the image displayed on the ceiling, the audience gazes into a mirror positioned beneath their feet. In this configuration, Tereza, who finds solace and stability within an environment that emphasizes physical group identity, is revealed through the  Tableau vivant technique. The act of viewing the video through the mirror induces a sense of vertigo within the audience, simultaneously serving as a poignant reminder that "vertigo" represents a profound yearning for an ontological falling into the state of “being-in-itself." In other words, audiences who experience observing Thereza's most stable emotions are at the same time in a state of vertigo.

Furthermore, it is imperative to underscore that the original portrayal of Tereza's gender was altered to male, in order to mitigate potential misinterpretations stemming from the inherent complexities of existentialist narratives, which are occasionally misconstrued as feminist narratives. Simultaneously, this modification was motivated by a sense of obligation to alleviate the tendency for a male artist to accentuate the female body.

​

There are two versions of this work, the installation version of vertigo and the movie version of Tereza's dream was nothing but her vertigo. 

The installation is designed to allow the viewer to see Tereza's dream in the material world and feel vertigo at the same time, while the film is designed to tell the narrative of vertigo through the conflict created by the components of the three scenes.