Jess Medenbach Looking Outwards-01

The Alter Bahnhof Video Walk was designed for the old train station in Kassel, Germany as part of dOCUMENTA (13). Participants borrow an ipod and headphones and go to the abandoned train station where they then watch a film on their phones that takes place in the abandoned space they are standing in.

What I think is really effective about this piece is that the uncanniness of the event brings up a lot of thoughts about memory of experiences, as well as memory of places, and how a space contains many past and present happenings within it.

The project could be more effective if in addition to the ipod there are other interactive elements within the space…such as actors or objects that bring the participant even more into the world of the story and the nostalgia of the piece.

It’s unclear the exact influences for this piece but the experience seems to be inspired by immersive theater pieces such as Sleep No More, as well as site specific video installation, as well as traditional historical art walks.