„Therefore, man is also the highest of the living creatures, because he is the most dissatisfied, that most feel the pressure of his limitations.“ Sri Aurobindo
The interactive installation showing 256 video portraits of different people trying to think nothing, so attempting to let what most solely the world seems to be constituted. The viewer is witness of impressive portraits of almost hypnotic intensity and vulnerability. Hundreds of people are being recorded for this project by video camera. They sit against a black background in a chair and look straight ahead. It is only the face and head, although recorded without sound. The only requirement: The person should think as little as possible about during the recording time of five minutes. 256 video portraits are displayed in small format on a surface. The visitor of an exhibition can select one of the videos using a pointing device, so it will be enlarged to a full screen and can be viewed in full length. At the end of the selected video the overview is displayed again and another video is selected. The projection is usually done using video projectors on a suitable surface, such as a screen or wall in the room. The pointer is fixed on a small plinth in front of the projection and is connected to the computer. Wolf Nkole Helzle completed a comprehensive, self-prescribed training in not thinking. He discovered how much his thoughts (the automatic part) limit his perception (the tree is a tree = checked). The state of not thinking opens up new and expanded ways of perceiving the world.