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Monolog

    Monolog is a series of videos, created using blind text (“Lorem ipsum dolor…”) spoken by male MacOS speech synthesizer voices. The nonsenical text is projected onto women who have no other choice but passively listen.

    An uncannily flat male voice drones on and on. Its‘ monolog is scrolling over a nude womans torso. One might be able to make out the odd word here and there, the text appears to be Latin. The woman just stands there, looking ununderstandingly into the eyes of the orator, the camera and the spectator alike. If one had suffered through Latin classes in high school or college, one might be inclined to try to translate the text but soon find it to be gibberish. The monolog is „Lorem ipsum dolores“, a blind text commonly used in desktop publishing software. It derives from „De finibus bonorum et malorum“, Ciceros most important work, written in 45 BC. In itself, „Lorem ipsum“, as a blind text, is intended to be gibberish, such as to not confuse the designer with content when typesetting.

    The authoritative male, talking down to the exposed and seemingly vulnerable female without ever pausing to give her the chance to retort is a metaphor for the perceived standard situation in gender relations. Women, it is said, are more cautious and hesitant to make themselves heard and their opinions known, therefor they lack the power to accomplish whatever may be best for them. Men, it is generalized, just charge ahead in their usual self-important and assertive manner. „If you can‘t baffle them with brilliance, befuddle them with bullshit“. These perceptions are one of the reasons why many organizations of civil society have adopted gender-biased talk lists for their legislative bodies. Make it easier for women to talk, and make them talk more, and then, maybe, the men might listen. Or not. Fully integrated and non-gender discriminatory societies are still a long way off. Gender-relations and our own habitus need constant reflection and refinement.

    „Monolog“ is a series of 18 ca. five minute videos, each in a different language. You can see some here: