Documentation, 2020

Looking at each other
Collaboration with Fiona Könz
2020

It is not possible to make direct eye contact through a video call. For most devices, the camera is located above the screen and since people usually look at their screen in a call, they appear to be looking slightly down. In the performance series looking at each other, the artists investigate set-ups in a video call that come close to the feeling of direct eye contact.
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‍Looking at each other for five minutes is a public performance and was part of the ACT Festival 2020. Participants were sent a zoom link and instructed to look straight into the camera of their device for five minutes. As everyone is looking at their camera, no-one is able to see the other participants. However, on the recorded video call all participants seem to look at each other directly.
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Looking at each other for an hour was performed by the two artists without the public. It consists of four parts, each with a specific setup investigating different possibilities (illustrated below).

If A and B both look at the camera, they can’t see each other, but on the screen, they seem to have direct eye contact.
If A looks at the camera and B at the screen, A does not see B, however, B gets the feeling of having eye contact with A.
If B looks at the camera and A at the screen, B does not see A, however, A gets the feeling of having eye contact with B.
If A and B both look at the screen, they see each other looking slightly down.

Documentation: Both participants look at the camera, 2020

Documentation: Both participants look at the screen, 2020

Documentation: Fiona looks at the camera, Gregor looks at the screen, 2020

Documentation: Fiona looks at the screen, Gregor looks at the camera, 2020