The Blackest Spot

"The Blackest Spot" is an interactive installation that "used Elias Canetti's seminal text 'Crowds and Power' as its point of departure. Canetti speaks of crowds as a mysterious and universal phenomenon whose density creates the 'blackest spot'. Using images of crowds culled from the daily newspaper, The Blackest Spot explored the representation of crowds and the myriad of reasons for public gatherings. Using animated imagery, fragments of sounds from well know speeches throughout history, and drawing, this installation transformed the gallery space at Fringe Exhibitions in Los Angeles' Chinatown into an arena placing the viewer in the role of audience or speaker. As viewers interacted with triggers strategically placed on the floor of the space, they choreographed their own experience. Alternating between contemplative quiet and a cacophony of cheers, the many facets of public gatherings were explored." -- Jody Zellen