Sissi

Video/Sculpture – 2005
DV, 0:20 min, Loop

Sculpture:
Wooden Box
50 × 50 × 50 cm (20 × 20 × 20 in)

In the video Sissi we see Marcin sitting on a perch like a bird in front of a dark background that clings to her. By inviting the viewer to watch the scenery through a peep hole in a box that contains a monitor, the installation provokes claustrophobic feelings and critically references the idea of the woman as a decorative object.

Marcin’s body seems oddly isolated and the expression on her face arouses a feeling of loneliness. Unexpectedly, she opens her mouth and a short, melodic tweet becomes audible evoking a human voice. The video creates a tension between the woman as a decorative object and the unsettling singing that comes from the monitor-cage. The yellow dress becomes a feather dress. The woman’s quavering voice seems intriguing, appalling and surreal.

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PSF24_03_SAP-Space_1144_JCLARK

Sissi Installation

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PSF24_03_SAP-Space_1098_JCLARK

Sissi_01

Sissi_02

Sissi_Zendai MoMA_4

Sissi_03

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OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERA

Sissi

Sissi
video / sculpture
Bird cage, tablet, video: 0.20 min., DV transferred to HD, loop
2005

"In the center of the video, a young, dark-haired woman sits on a narrow bar, barefooted and dressed in a yellow top and beige skirt. (…) The woman's blank facial expression reinforces the impression of isolation and loneliness. Suddenly, the woman opens her mouth, but unlike expected, instead of a human voice, only a short, melodic warbling can be heard. The acoustic level and the title “Sissi” finally pave the way to understanding what is seen: In Marcin's video work, the woman as a decorative object merges with the entertaining songbird in the cage. (…) leaves an anxious feeling of amusement."

Written by Nadia Ismail for the Videonale 10 catalog