Aura Rendón Benger

The blue Box

​ Installation 2013

 

The audience is asked to enter “The Blue Box” by lying down on a shallow tray on their back. This tray can be rolled in and out of the box through its only opening, and the person entering the box stays inside for one minute. Inside the box and invisible from the outside, I am hanging from the top of the box, horizontally, facing the audience. All my senses are highly sharpened because of my limited sight.

 

When a person is pushed into the box and below me, our faces are separated by only about thirty centimetres. Although they cannot see me, they can feel my presence above them. The participants first struggle to accept the situation they are trapped in, perhaps even feel uncomfortable, but slowly their unease fades off, their breathing becomes more regular.

 

The experience climaxes in sharing something very particular, something very personal; even if this is something different for each of us, as we are in completely different situations: The radical and imposed closeness to the people below me make me feel strong, calm and deeply relaxed. On the other hand, I am able to feel their awkward discomfort.