Defusing a bomb is a classic film trope used to create tension. DWFE, an artist collective, have decided to turn that idea into a full-blown (ha ha) installation. The participant is presented with two wires and precious little time. The goal is to close the gap between the image being presented and the actual tension the viewer is supposed to feel.

“Over recent decades, entertainment and play have become decoupled from actual jeopardy, whilst simultaneously our consumption of risk via news and documentary footage has become more realistic,” they write. “Exposure to film, television and photography—whether the content is factual or fictional—does not increase our ability to understand or empathise with people in extreme situations, particularly those faced with violence and danger. Screen-based consumption is reductive: The real and the non-real are experienced in the same way, via the same technological interface.”

I’m curious to think of what DWFE makes of war videogames. They’re one step closer from the level of complete removal television allows. You can read more about the exhibit here.

– Filipe Salgado