the presence of the other is my presence.

Brazilian anthropologist Eduardo Viveiros de Castro, exploring Amerindian perspectivism, contrasts it with Descartes’ cogito ergo sum. He moves from the Cartesian notion of “I think, therefore I am” to the subjective perception of Amazonian indigenous communities, proposing “I think because another thinks, or I am because another is.”

This interplay between subjects invites participants to reflect on their active presence as a modifying factor of others’ subjectivity and, simultaneously, on the presence of the other person constituting one’s own subjectivity. It reflects the fragility of interpersonal relationships, where the mere movement of one individual can erase the trace of the other.

The artwork unfolds in an installation within a room divided into two sectors. When two participants enter each sector, a monitor displays their image in the space created by the presence of the other’s body.

Setup

Each sector (A and B) has a CRT screen at its end with a camera mounted on it. Sector A displays on its screen what camera A captures, but this image is cropped by what camera B captures, and vice versa.

The installation needs a room that is at least 4 meters wide by 2 meters long, divided widthwise by a white movable wall. Against this wall, there will be two opposing televisions, each with a camera above, according to the provided scheme. It is also necessary for the room to be able to illuminate the walls with spotlights.

Equipment