Alexander Brandt

Viewpoint (1998, video installation)

Certain questions appear simple, but they are actually very difficult to answer. Who are you? What do you like best doing? When was the happiest moment in your life?
This installation shows the video portraits of 21 Shanghai citizens at the turn of the millennium, a time of great social and cultural change. They are spontaneously answering these questions and thus allow us to glance into what constitutes them.
Simultaneously the viewer will see video documentation about the interviewees, shot by themselves. The video is projected into the top corner of a small, dark room, and the distorted video image appears different depending on the spectators chosen point of view. 3 questions, 21 interviews - each one reveals one individual point of view, taken together they attempt to shine a light on a society in change.