the concept of “oblivion” is inspired by alighieri boetti’s work “ammazzare il tempo” [translated „killing time“]. seemingly having no intention, nor message, the video is a portrait of a still crisis and oblivious boredom: a head shaking over the restless urge of [creative] people to invent, create and make something new. “oblivion” appears as a story of an individual who tries to escape the monotony and the incessant meaningless chatter of daily life by losing himself in his own stream of consciousness. the passage of time, the [ar]rhythmic waiting, are so intrusive that they become somehow manic; emotions of loss and awkwardness are being soaked into the character of the protagonist himself.
“nothing new under the sun, they say.
nothing new.”
leander, the protagonist, walks around his house and the city. there is a deafening silence around him, as ifhe was alone, nowhere, in a place of isolation that he does not recognise.
“listening to the silence.
visiting the emptiness.
and then?
then wait.”
We see him bored and killing time, seemingly to be waiting for something to happen and at the same time
trying to catch the glimpse of some meaningful memory or thought.
“dividing the emptiness.
trying to remember.”
he keeps playing around with a handkerchief, which he ties up with a knot, an ancient practice to remind oneself of a particular to-do and a symbolism of not wanting to forget something of high importance.
“going anywhere.
i'm a tourist,
going nowhere.”
leander wanders the world until, finally, he comes to the conclusion of his restless waiting and collecting. the emptiness of the time killed, and the nostalgia of the clouded memories form an accumulation of some noisy nothingness.
“nothing new under the sun, they say.
nothing new.
i’m collecting.
lots of nothing.”