Ennui

Ennui is a holographic installation of two computer-generated characters. The characters sit on the edge of a concrete wall with slow indefinite, meditative gestures. They are not active nor passive, they are silent, in a state of ennui.

Ennui is described as a feeling of being bored and mentally tired caused by having nothing interesting or exciting to do. In the beginning of nineteenth century Surrealists used this term to describe their rejection of pressures of any social order, and the lack of societal rules caused a vacancy in practical activities in everyday life.

We have left behind this era, and now live in an era of extraordinary complexity. In 2021, we’ve found ourselves weathering many kinds of consequences of late capitalism, colonial-imperialism, homo- and transphobia, fascism, racism and finally the disease. In this time of great global uncertainty, we are in a uniquely challenging position in the history of humanity with infinite possibilities stretched out ahead of us, but what we can do is being almost passive, waiting in a permanent stand-by mode with lack of act. This lack of being and obesity of all current information systems has deepened this boredom. As Hannah Arendt sees it, “Modernity began with an unprecedented, heroic activation of human capacity, yet it ends in mortal passivity.”

This installation seeks to remind viewers of the exhaustion and the fatigue caused by an incessant compulsion to perform, the suffering from lethargy and ennui. Lacking desire and imagination, alienation and dissatisfaction pervade every aspect of our daily life. The project aims to explore not only the post-conflict struggles between characters with nature and society, but also looks into internal conflicts.