LIVE GOES ON

Germany is heading for the climax of the corona crisis. Lockdowns and contact closures are decreed, parts of the population are starting to panic buying, supermarket shelves are empty, the general uncertainty is becoming palpable, fuelled by constant media reports on the current state of the crisis. At the same time, spring sets in. With the greening of nature, the animal world awakens from its winter rigidity. Unconcerned by what is happening in the world right now, ant colonies form, spiders crawl out of their hiding places, mosquitoes hatch and, like other insects, set out in search of food. Some animals take the chance to conquer my living space through open windows and gaps under the terrace door. Because of the involuntary gained time due to the corona restrictions, I start to pay more attention to these little intruders and film them while they are doing it. They go about their business, stay in ambush for prey or fly constantly against the windowpane. Again and again small dramas take place in the insects' fight for survival ... The progression of time during the lockdown is captured in the video, visible in the blossoming of an orchid, which gradually produces 12 flowers over a period of several weeks. Below the pictures is the soundtrack of television news reporting on the coronavirus pandemic. The intensity increases in the course of the video. The small intruders in the apartment pursue their activities unimpressed by this.
...life goes on.
The increasing confusion of voices slowly decreases at the end of the video and becomes quieter. Finally, only the sounds of nature coming through the window can be heard. It remains open whether the open window has led to the liberation of the fly or whether it is a new invasion gate for further insects. The phrase "But life goes on...", says Brazilian coach Luiz "Felipão" Scolari in an interview after the tragic 7-1 defeat of his team against Germany. This soccer match triggered a national crisis in Brazil which, according to some Brazilians, continues to have an impact to this day. The quote "Mas continua a vida..." [But life goes on...] was the title of one of my earlier video works, in which I underlay the simultaneously recorded voice of the soccer reporter and the soundscape of the fans in the stadium under landscape shots of a Brazilian national park.