Social Distancing
In early February 2020, I spent two weeks in Rome. At that time, there was officially only one person infected by the Corona virus. A few weeks later, Italy had gone into a state of emergency. This made me ultrasensitive to the very, very complex situation of keeping a distance to other people. In March 2020, when the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic began to spread in Germany as well, there were hardly any visual aids to comply with that all important minimum distance. So I designed a photo prop: a measuring tape 200 cm long and 8 cm wide. This is what I put on stage in Berlin\'s public space; in selected places, at certain days and times. I photograph one-handed with my smartphone camera. With my free hand, I maneuver the floating tape measure into the exact image statements I want. What I capture is the effective distance between the persons who happen to be in the frame at the time of my taking the picture. In the two-dimensional perspective, however, even 100 meters may shrink to the 200 cm tape measure length. This results in an interplay of architecture, places, sculptures, situations, and the people present at a meta-level: I use historical references, metaphors, or free associations as inspiration for a responsible interaction.
Translation: Werner Richter
In early February 2020, I spent two weeks in Rome. At that time, there was officially only one person infected by the Corona virus. A few weeks later, Italy had gone into a state of emergency. This made me ultrasensitive to the very, very complex situation of keeping a distance to other people. In March 2020, when the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic began to spread in Germany as well, there were hardly any visual aids to comply with that all important minimum distance. So I designed a photo prop: a measuring tape 200 cm long and 8 cm wide. This is what I put on stage in Berlin\'s public space; in selected places, at certain days and times. I photograph one-handed with my smartphone camera. With my free hand, I maneuver the floating tape measure into the exact image statements I want. What I capture is the effective distance between the persons who happen to be in the frame at the time of my taking the picture. In the two-dimensional perspective, however, even 100 meters may shrink to the 200 cm tape measure length. This results in an interplay of architecture, places, sculptures, situations, and the people present at a meta-level: I use historical references, metaphors, or free associations as inspiration for a responsible interaction.
Translation: Werner Richter
