In Empathy, I engage with the paradoxical relationship between humanity’s capacity for compassion and the looming presence of destruction. The video is centered on an image of a nuclear explosion—appropriated from the vast digital archive of the internet through a simple screenshot—and paired with Amit Chatterjee’s haunting composition “Empathy,” which I remixed to align with the work’s intention. This juxtaposition reflects on the unsettling notion that humanity's last resort for maintaining peace is the implicit threat of nuclear obliteration.

The video invites contemplation of the fragile balance between fear and survival. It questions whether the empathy we show one another is genuine or merely a mechanism to ensure collective continuity. To me, authentic empathy arises only in the small, intimate actions we perform for those we love—a stark contrast to the broader, impersonal systems that govern global peacekeeping. The choice of a nuclear explosion, a symbol of ultimate destruction, underscores this tension, offering a stark reminder of the lengths we go to preserve a fragile world order.

At its core, Empathy reflects on the dualities of human existence: love and fear, connection and distance, creation and destruction. The haunting image and Chatterjee’s evocative melody come together to pose a profound question: Is our empathy genuine, or is it born from the shadow of annihilation? This work seeks to evoke a sense of unease and reflection, leaving the viewer to grapple with the complexities of human connection and survival in a world on the brink.

*Video-loop, Sound, Sizes and display formats variable, duration 4.10 min. Originally, this video projection is designed to be shown as an immersive installation in a complete dark room. The piece (8:00 min. edited as double loop) runs in a constant loop.