A piece called 😢
Note: this piece works best in fullscreen with headphones.
Michael Caplan
2/25/2022
A collage of videos, mostly from people’s phones, taken during an invasion into Ukraine by Russian military force. It was compiled on the night of February 24, at the end of the first day of military action. If the gulf war was made for TV, this one was made for social media.
The rhythm and pacing represents the interior experience of obsessively refreshing social media channels dedicated to disseminating conflict footage and information. Revulsion and fascination.
The piece is meant to be an antidote to the clearly articulated narrative of mass media.
The amateur videos capture moments when the world changes rules, and reality is made malleable by the magic of extreme violence.
I did not include any images of death.