Wish You Weren't Here

Our curiosity gawps at what seems spectacular to us. Traffic accidents, catastrophes, acts of violence captivate our gaze. At all times, there has been a distinction between "good" and and "bad" curiosity. Viewing horrific images in serious news media is considered informational, while is considered informational while gawking at accident victims is condemned as immoral. In some cases, only certain groups of people are allowed to view such events or their victims, e.g. journalists. victims, e.g. journalists, scientists, lawyers, physicians, etc. In this case, normative permission is granted only if socially accepted motives justify it, such as research interests justify it, such as research interest, duty to inform, or finding the truth. (Stangl, 2020). In the case of the installation "Wish You Weren't Here" by Dominik Einfalt and Noah von Stietencron the gawker himself becomes the perpetrator, the trigger of the spectacle, for his presence is deadly. The website wywnh.stream shows three simultaneous video streams of a transparent, cylindrical water container in which a jellyfish lives. When a user visits this website he causes the brief opening of an electronic valve at the bottom of the water tank. The more onlookers look at the jellyfish and the longer they do this, the more water is drained. It is the gawkers themselves who inevitably contribute to the death of the animal. 


Exhibited
Angewandte Festival | Vienna