:
(C) 2014 Maria C Hilber

Empathy

EMPATHY
The art of caring
A speech opera

EMPATHY is a trans-active speech opera that wanders amongst reflections on empathic research, observational paradigms and seeking hidden treasures.
 
The caretaker in relation to the subject of care is a figure of proximity and structural maintenance. A figure which besides interacting and therefore shaping, might have an eye for the things “that nobody sees”. This awareness brings potentials into being, which in other respects might remain in the shade of non-existence. 
 
EMPATHY intends to re-place excerpts of realities: from the Research Institute of Wildlife Ecology, FIWI to the ArtScience Studio, University of Applied Arts. 
The trans-active play utilizes and provides various tools of observation and sensitization such as: the Eulerian Video Magnification, fragments of interview to “the caretaker”, acoustics of birds (in a cage), a catalogue of observational questions, a performative twirl of audible sense-making by including the audience and the sharing of food. 
 
The play intends to implement a source of individual and common experience by exploring sensual expansibilities, questioning the existence of empathy as such and by daring to suggest the question: is empathy an act of dying?
 
 
1/5 the Eulerian Video Magnification
The Eulerian Video Magnification for Revealing Subtle Changes in the World by the MIT is a video filter which amplifies motion and color changes that are invisible to the naked eye. Through the web application http://videoscope.qrclab.com I experimented with videos of the red deer population from FIWI. 
 
2/5 fragments of interview “the caretaker”
“The caretaker” is contemplating on experiences and observations concerning caring, raising and guiding of the red deer population, hierarchical structures and group dynamics and he tells us about self-abandoned birds who decide to die. 
 
3/5 the catalogue of observational questions is the artefact of “the speech” happening during the play. The speaker is guiding through an essay of qualitative questions, daring to enter literary subjectivity. 
 
4/5 the original soundtrack of birds in a cage builds the ambient sound with unfiltered wing beat and surrounding noise. 
 
5/5 the audience gets a card of information on how to approach the opera: form a shell with your hands and walk through the installation. listen and perceive. once you have had enough, watch out for the food and? enjoy. 
their behaviour gets recorded and played back in real time.


in collaboration with: 
the FIWI, Research Institute of Wildlife Ecology
 
with special thanks to:
Uni.-Prof. Dr.med.vet Chris Walzer for facilitation and support
Peter Steiger for information and guidance
and Dr.med.vet Gabrielle Stalder for inspiration

 

Fact Box

Empathy
Date
July 26, 2014