Same but Different
Video installation
Summer 2015 | Faculty of Architecture, Hochschule Darmstadt (GER)
For a project called „Live Box“ my class was tasked to get together in groups and build one box for each group member, all with the same dimensions. The boxes were to display something about the individual, the group and be relatable for the viewer. Our group of six came up with a video installation that would allow to compare similarities and differences in everyday procedures of the group members. We built six wooden 30x70cm boxes with a depth of 20cm. Each box (1) was open in the front and masked with translucent paper in the back. We stacked two rows of three boxes each on top of each other. The viewer would stand on the open side of the boxes while the video would be mapped to the translucent backside. Each box displayed a separate video of one of the group members doing rudimentary procedures like brushing their teeth, smiling etc. and the videos were being shown simultaneously (2). The opening of the boxes were set infront of a wall, giving the viewer enough space to see all boxes at once but while intentionally not giving enough space to step too far away. Throughout the video, the six frames are being broken up to show one or all of the group members. We decided to give our Live Box project the title „Same but different“, hinting, that although we are all individuals we are the same in many ways and although we are very similar, we all have our own way of doing things.
(1) Box and video depend on each other. The box adds dimension to the video. The individual boxes become a seperator, seperating each video pannel vom the others, while the stacked boxes as one give a uniform look to the installation.
(2) Displaying the same action by different people at the same time emphasizes the differences, while showing the same action by different people one after the other can show similarities.