The Lower Depths
During two successive evenings some twelve residents from the Chicago block of flats on Antwerp’s left bank performed the first few pages of Maxim Gorky’s play The Lower Depths. It tells the story of six impoverished characters living in cramped conditions in a cellar. In my production, the text was converted into Morse code and transmitted by light signals from the windows of the flats, resulting in a composition of flickering lights. A conversation about money, death, love and longing.
2011, film stills
2011, installation view © Johan Luyckx
2011, 6-channel video installation, HDV, color, no sound, 3:38:06
2011, excerpt of scenario
Credits
With: Fatumo Misan, Yonis Misan, Bismark Akyereko, Berta De Dycker, Amran Ali Salaad, Aadam Hassan, Nagiah Shirzai, Natacha Mukoko Fuala, Charles Bulba, Ahlem Ben Salem, El Yaa Quobi, Jenny De Bruyn a.o
Camera crew: Chloé Dierckx, Bieke Goovaerts, Jo Caimo, Sofie Cemke, Winnie Claessens, Sarah De Wilde