Solitude

A man is standing on a rock surrounded by the sea. He sends a semaphore message using two flags: >>Solitude is luxury when it is voluntary<<. In the background the roar of the sea and isolated double beats on a drum can be heard. This at first glance simple and unambiguous statement is actually multilayered, harbouring the possibility of various interpretations. One might perhaps regard the man on his rock as a human being, who, far away from all of possible disruptions, is enjoying his solitude – the luxury he has afforded himself. Or the scene might be interpreted as a helpless attempt of someone stranded to draw attention to his plight and end his isolation – solitude thus indicating distress. A third possibility is the encoded communication used in seafaring – solitude becomes a necessity. The sentence thus becomes the key to various ways of viewing and assessing an action that is in itself neutral. The acoustic signals can be made to fit any of the interpretations. The roar of the sea thus fluctuates between contemplation, menace and neutral background noise. The drum beats might be heartbeats, the noise of slamming door, or shots. Antti Tanttu creates for the viewer a multifaceted image of solitude. (Nadia Ismail)