"The other is in me, because I am me. Similarly, the I from whom the other is absent perishes." Éduard Glissant

The video investigates intersubjective relations. It is based on an experiment with a hat clarifying communicative understanding of a subject as dialogical relationship "I - The Other".

A new hat brings an instant transformation - a person experiences oneself for a moment as a stranger. People from all continents (workshops in India, Poland, Portugal, Russia, Tunisia, Serbia, Sudan, Germany) were invited to put an unusual hat. For a moment he/she sees a stranger in the mirror, communication with oneself begins. The video shows facial reactions and reflections of the participants in hats, symbolizing power or aggression (German and Russian forage-caps, US Navy, Russian Navy and German police peak-caps...) The video shows which experience and knowledge we gain from this unusual perspective on the other.

e.g. - Power corrupts. It is not about money, but a high, it is about yourself. Circumstances can surely make me so. Power is primitive stuff. /German police peak-cap - It looks so greedy for power, but to be quite honest maybe I desire it and don't want to admit to myself. /German police peak-cap.

In dialogue with "the other" stereotypes fade. "I" begins to see the other person as a person existentially important, because : "the I from whom the other is absent perishes". When we accept this perspective "hatred will disappear".

It's a part of a series. Other parts are:

Altérité-1. Heroes. Loop 9:56
Altérité-2. Countries 10:19
Altérité-3. Hijab & Top Hat 15:56
Altérité-4. Religion 9:18
Altérité-5. Gender 7:39

©2014 Eugenia Gortchakova. All Rights Reserved

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