Elkin Calderón.

Dodgy

Date: 2012
Length: 23:12 min.
Format: 16:9
Specifications: Colour, Sound, Single Channel
Courtesy the artist

“Give me liberty or give me death” is the motto of the “Sandwichman”, who represents all those who appear in Caldéron’s documentary. His video “DODGY” relates the experiences of a migrant in London from his own perspective. The journey to Bocas de Ceniza is the end of a migrant’s tale which began with the wish to emigrate to London, in order to learn English and escape from the lethargy of his homeland. Once in London, the artists comes in contact with the characteristics of English culture during his contacts with two different host families. Through the encounter with persons who, as migrants, share the same lot, and with humorous illustrations, the viewer is confronted with the everyday hardships which accompany life in a foreign country. Following a failed attempt to earn some money as a sandwich man, the artist finds a job delivering sandwiches. At the same time he takes up painting and founds a band – in the futile attempt to increase his income. At one point of the story he ponders the meaning of the British word “dodgy”. Here the artist lets the narrative and reflective threads meet. The amateurish quality of the images emphasises the blurred boundary between reality and fiction. What the word “dodgy” means is conveyed by the atmosphere of this tale, which leaves open which of the two predominates, the documentary or the fictional.
Angela María Rodríguez Rojas

Interview:

► 1.Your work has been chosen among over 2000 festival entries to participate in VIDEONALE.14. In which context do you prefer to present your work, festival/cinema context or exhibition? And what kind of difference does the respective mode of presentation mean for you / your work?

For the video work titled DODGY, 22 minutes in duration, I believe it is best to present it in festival/cinema context, in a dark space with comfortable chairs. The cinema space still conserves the special ambiance of being a dark and public space, where people can share a visual experience that is both private and public.  Exhibiting in an art space or gallery has worked well for me with short videos, but personally I find it boring to watch audiovisual works that extend five minutes in such spaces.

► 2.Art can be seen as a mirror that registers and reflects life or as a tool that transforms it. Is there a particular theme, concept or problem your art addresses the most?

In DODGY, that is what literally happens. It is a video work that records and reflects personal experiences taken from a particular point of view, away from traditional documentary and closer to art.  I want to evoke and allow space for the uncertainty of knowing if what you are watching is fiction, reality or a way of accommodating memories.

► 3.In which way is the video medium an excellent possibility to express your intended subjects, especially in contrast to other media you use? Or do you work exclusively with video?

My work is mostly in video.  After 15 years, I am still in love with the camera and I continue to discover new things.  The camera allows me to enter into another world, another space-time where reality is not what it seems, time changes and the way to understand life as well.  Also in the editing process extraordinary things happen. The time between the recording of images and editing is very important. I often feel the images mature on their own and reveal different things from when I recorded.  I am also interested in painting, drawing, music and art in general - it is an expansive territory where any manifestation and mixed media is possible. There should be no borders.

► 4.If you have the chance to ask the visitors of the VIDEONALE.14 exhibition questions about your own work, what would be your question?

Did you enjoy the video? Did you laugh?  Do you think life is a kind of DODGY tragicomedy?