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Wasteland (unknown country)

Wasteland (unknown country) examines the deterioration of spirituality and happiness that some argue is a consequence of living in a modern, industrial society. The audio in this piece is taken from a sound database conventionally employed in the television and film industries. Sounds are taken from their original context and are used in conjunction with video upon which filters have been applied to distort the original image. Interspersed within the video are simple pixel-based animations. These animations are reminiscent of normally serene occurrences in nature, such as rushing waves of water and flying flocks of birds; yet paired with unusual audio, these animations in fact call to mind a “calm” that is ultimately eerie and sinister. The use of computer technology to create a combination of animation, idiosyncratic sound, and processed footage further emphasizes the notion of a world filled with foreboding and despair.

Renetta Sitoy