Wednesday, October 20, 2010

In the Long Run



In the Long Run (2010) by art collective IOCOSE is a reconstruction of a possible future high profile media event. The death of pop star Madonna is described in a BBC News special edition, with a journalist and studio guest who go over the details of the fatal car accident, the statements of the VIPs and the reactions of fans around the world.

It is not a true story, but neither is it improbable. All TV networks prepare obituaries about famous people to put on air in the event of an unexpected death. The death of an international figure is not just predictable, it is actually predicted in the video files kept up to date in their archives.

In the Long Run is not a fake; it does not attempt to look realistic and it does not expect the viewer to believe in the contents or that the video actually belongs to a famous news network. But it undoubtedly says that when the event takes place, it will be reported in these terms. In reconstructing the future in the past tense, In the Long Run is a catalyst for endless narratives and interpretative developments. Likely or unlikely, inevitable or imminent, but existing in potential form, like the narration of an event that never took place.

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