Fascinated by the endless choreographies of people moving in the metropole of Taipei City, Van Laere created his video installation Slow Rise. It captivates the reality of millions of people swarming through the city in , a well orchestrated chaos.
As in his previous work SLow (made in Taiwan), Van Laere explores a combination of stillness and dynamics. Slow Rise shows the contrast between the mechanised movement of the escalators, and the human movement of the people. It also highlights the contrast of the moment of resting as opposed to the movement within a modern city.
By staging additional scenes, Van Laere further alienates the experience, bringing focus to the multitude of possibilities in which the escalators are used. Onlookers are invited to silently observe a slice of modern city life.
Percussionist & producer Frank Wienk composed an original stereo soundscape by giving every individual on the escalator a pulse. Shifting from low pitched to high pitched tones based on the age of the individual, the sound travels along with the people’s movement from left to right. The complex and unique composition reflects the concept of orchestrated chaos in the metropole Taipei City.
This project was made possible by: Het Stimuleringsfonds Creatieve Industrie, Stroom Den Haag, The Taipei Artist Village & The Taipei Main Station.