CORNERS
A young man jumps into the picture accompanied by a drumming sound: Dag dag ding ding dag dag ding parallel to the growing rhythmatization, the protagonist gets up and starts running. He sets out from a courtyard in Vienna and proceeds to diverse sites in the city: dashing rapidly around the corners of buildings, running down streets, easily jumping over all hurdles and leaving behind a steady trail of staring, astonished passersby in the wake of his sprints through subway and shops. Derek Roberts, in his debut film, does not give either himself or the observer a breather, but instead, forges continuously on to new sites of the city: a halfpipe in the outskirts, a climbing wall in Viennas Prater, a sculpture on the Danube, and a fenced-off construction site, which he, of course, traverses. Diverse accessories, such as melons and clownish outfits, emphasize the playful, slapstick nature of his physical appropriation of space, in which he not only undermines the citys normal vantage points, but also makes the assertion that urban space always allows itself to be used in different ways and can be reshaped only through use.
(Christa Benzer)
Translation: Lisa Rosenblatt
CORNERS represents an attempt to interact with perpendicular obstacles throughout the city of Vienna. By filming and editing these sequences as we did, one can easily discern a certain flow as all of the elements are integrated into a cohesive challenge in maneuvering around, over, under and through these temporary and permanent urban structures.
It offers a range of patterns, pace, texture, colour and contrast of a city that is well-built, but not to the point where one can´t shift the way that it is experienced. You have to learn how to appreciate and yield rewards from your city´s, often restrictive, infrastructure in a multitude of different ways. You have to refresh your perception of the function of your city. We believe that with a slight shift of one´s understanding, the city unfolds and offers plenty to play with. This is precisely what we have attempted to convey in this brief, exploratory film.
(Derek Roberts & Praved Chandra)
CORNERS, texte français
(Christa Benzer)
La vidéo CORNERS nous montre quelques unes des multiples façons d'interagir avec la ville. Le protagoniste, qui n'est autre que Derek Roberts en personne, traverse Vienne à toute allure. Et en parcourt avec legèreté tous les « coins », qu'ils soient éphémères ou permanents, horizontaux ou verticaux. Ce faisant, il présente au spectateur un décor changeant, portrait d'une Vienne aux mille facettes. Derek Roberts met ainsi en relief le potentiel des structures urbaines dont notre usage quotidien n'exploite nullement la marge de manuvre. Il stimule notre conscience des fonctions urbaines qu'il s'agit d'élargir et d'apprécier à leur juste mesure. Cette vidéo n'est pas seulement une invitation à poser sur la ville un autre regard, mais aussi une documentation dont l'importance croît au fur et à mesure que notre époque évolue. (Steffi Schöne)
Traduction: Françoise Guiguet
CORNERS
2008
Austria
10 min 10 sec