Inspired by the reaction videos that began to proliferate on the Internet in the mid-2000s, Emily’s Video is a 15-minute video that captures viewers’ reactions to a seemingly horrifying footage found on the darknet. The people featured are a random selection of volunteers, located in New York, who saw our online call. Those who responded were visited by a girl named Emily (hence the title), who came into their homes to show them the video and record every reaction with a webcam. We later destroyed the original video.
Screenshots from video
Excerpts of Emily’s Video reactions were initially distributed via YouTube
The video is displayed on a large vertical monitor, positioned where visitors can only see the back of it once they enter. The image only takes up a third of the monitor, turning the rest of the screen into a black mirror. Viewers move closer to the side of the monitor to see their reactions reflected next to the video.
Installed at Fotomuseum Winterthur
Commissioned by the Museum of Contemporary Art, Roskilde