FACES (2024)
for two performers with phones, live electronics & visuals
as part of ‚eventuell. fake‘ by Vera Wahl & Manuela Villiger
FACES is a performance featuring two performers, in which live electronics and visual effects are controlled using their mouths. A specialized iPhone app responds to the opening and closing of their mouths, triggering various effects in MaxMSP. The performers create the impression that they are about to speak: they take a breath and open their mouths, but instead of their own voices, their avatar appears, reciting the text with a computer-generated voice. The performers stand facing the audience with a neutral expression. In one hand, they hold the iPhone in a way that keeps their face clearly visible, while in the other hand, they hold a light bulb, which is controlled by their heartbeat.
„people are more inclined to believe what is visually presented than competing verbal evidence. made to look like something or somebody else – imitation. while physical violence may not accomplish everything, it can still provide motivation with relatively few prerequisites. sleeper effect – an initially unconvincing message from an unreliable source becomes more persuasive with the passage of time. confirmation bias – the tendency to favor information that confirms the preexisting beliefs. the presence of a power imbalance makes it futile for the subordinate to even develop a will. power can influence even without using force, just as a possibility. power is the dominance of one or more individuals over one or more individuals. selective exposure.“
