Emperor's New Clothes
2017 | Video, Photography, Installation
"The Emperor's New Clothes", 1837 is a literary folktale written by Danish author Hans Christian Andersen, based on a medieval spanish story from the "Libro de los ejemplos" (or El Conde Lucanor), 1335. Andersen's tale is about a vain emperor who's fool by swindlers, who offer to supply him with magnificent clothes that are invisible to those who are stupid or incompetent. They mime dressing him and he sets off in a procession before the whole city. The townsfolk uncomfortably go along with the pretense, not wanting to appear inept or stupid, until a child blurts out that the emperor is wearing nothing at all. The people then realize that everyone has been fooled.
Casasola's “Emperor new clothes” is a reflection on the collective fantasy of interaction and equality. The erosion of democratic freedoms and human rights, discrimination for reasons of origin, gender, sexuality, religion or economic situation. A promise of happiness based on precarious working conditions with human and environmental damage. It looks like we prefer to melt into the collective and claim not to see harassment.
The selection of colors refer to techniques used in film and theater to invisibilize performers on stage: curtain, infinite set, chroma or darkness.
Photo: Kilian Müller, Berlin 2017
