“The Fifth Night” is a video installation composed of seven synchronized projections. The videos feature old Shanghai scenes, as a large décor with carriages, rickshaws and vintage cars. In the middle of the scene a stage has been built, a few jars with fishes have been placed on a table and a tramway is being frenetically repaired, illuminating the place. Vague views of people without any relationship are shown, anxious, hesitating men and women here and there attend to their own duties, a scene’s foreground can become next scene’s background; a shot is wide and narrative, while the other depicts some characters, this long screen of seven projections has more relief than if it was in 3D, and is more complete. Facing seven cameras, actors’ expressions in each objective and shot are uncontrollable; this kind of randomness presents a certain subtle and unpredictable aesthetic.
The idea behind this work came from a reflection on film production, and a new filming method was used for this video installation: seven projections, going far beyond our visual field and habits, Yang Fudong calls it “multiple views film”. The most important in the production of this work was the inspiration of the actors, as well as viewers’ feelings of the space, the artist unified this work by maneuvering its inner and external feelings.
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