Naturalism posits in a very Hobbsian way, that people are doomed to their circumstances due to their environment and heredity, with no hope of escape. Naturalistic plays, such as Auguste Strindberg’s Miss Julie, demonstrate this on stage by playing out a very real taboo situation ending in ruin for the characters involved.
With my installation, I wanted to find a way to distill both the quality and the effect that heredity plays on naturalistic theater. In hanging a bottle holding individuals hopes and dreams just out of most people’s reach, I wanted to simulate the experience of these characters trapped by their heredity. In this case, the heredity isn’t class, gender, or race, but height.
There were varying levels of success. Some easily achieved their goal and others passively tried and failed. The most fascinating attempts were those that opened themselves to the moment and put mental stakes on reaching the bottle. One person who couldn’t reach it asked to go again, insisting “with a running start, I know I can make it”.
In an additional blog post below, I am posting the running start attempt. I hope you enjoy, that you for reading.