The Staircase, 1998
Peter Land

Still: Courtesy the artist | Galleri Nicolai Wallner, Copenhagen
Collection

Two-channel video installation, color, sound
5 min


The Staircase is a double video projection set to a disharmonic carousel-like soundtrack. One screen shows a man falling in slow motion down an endless flight of stairs. The other is a computergenerated image of the universe, with stars slowly moving towards the spectator.
The infinite fall stems from the idea that when you question the basic conditions of existence you set in motion a spiral of descent. Questions like "What am I doing here?", "Is there a purpose to me being around?" can ultimately destabilize every routine you set up to feel spiritually and socially secure. These questions remain unanswered for the individual interested in the why - and not so much the how - of a vast and expanding universe. – Soraya Rodriguez


*1966 in Aarhus, Denmark | Living and working in Copenhagen, Denmark