Decidophobia – an Artistic Research on the Possibilities of Immersive Environments

Abstract

With the panoramic video installation ‘Decidophobia’, I endeavour to point to the difficulty of making decisions and the confrontation with overwhelming choices in our satiated society of today with the means of media arts I aim to raise the awareness for the great gift we have: The freedom to choose in many situations of life; but as well being overwhelmed and hindered by an extensive choice and the difficult task of making the right decision. This finally might raise counterfactual thoughts, the retrospective considerations of what would be today, if we decided differently at a turning point at an earlier stage of our life.In this work, the viewer is confronted with the difficulty of choice. A perfect labyrinth is all around, no orientation is possible, paths appear and disappear again, vanish completely, but new possibilities open up. The soundtrack underlines the visual experience: passers-by are expressing their confusion by questioning where they actually are, where they should go to, which path to take and where they came from. A Babel-like chatter in nine different languages from different directions enhances the confusion. It is difficult to focus on one voice, on a familiar language, which leaves the viewer with the impression of a missed conversation, a missed opportunity.