Empire of the Senseless Part I - 2006 motion detector, construction site spotlight, contact microphones, phosphorescent paint, text by Kathy Acker Format variable Installation view: No Matter How Bright the Light, the Crossing Occurs at Night, KunstWerke Berlin, 2006. The space is a long dark corridor with an exit at the end. Upon entering and walking through the space, the visitor triggers several motion detectors one after the other. They are connected to lights and set to a very short time interval so the space is lit step by step. On the rear wall a text written with phosphorescent paint is applied. The paint is charged by the spotlights and starts to glow but stays invisible as long as the lights are on. As soon as the visitor stops and the lights go out, the text becomes legible. The sound of triggering and releasing of the motion detectors is amplified and produces a soundscape that accompanies the movements of the visitor. The text is a quote from Kathy Ackers novel 'Empire of the Senseless'. In this book, the Algerian War comes to Paris. Paris is completely destroyed and the "Arabs" take control over the city. In the wasteland of a city reduced to rubble, people also lose their status and identity. They enter a state of permanent becoming.