Thoughts before Night-time is an installation, that invites a viewer to take a seat in a chair next to a fish. The fish is “watching” a film, containing footage of a fish being decomposed by sea slugs, played in a fast-forward speed. At the same viewer is watching a video montage about different aspects of a human death, such as burials, cremation and ceremonies associated with death. That way, the simplicity and ‘natural’ way of animal death is opposed to humans’ complex relationship with it.
Another idea behind the piece is an attempt to compare the state of loneliness before and after the death of both species. As a fact, most animals tend to withdraw just before their death and be alone in the moment. Right after the death the life circle phenomena begins as the body is being torn to pieces and processed by hundreds of other animals and microorganisms. In a contrast to that, people tend to choose to leave life in the presence of their beloved ones, as the idea of dying alone is not pleasant for the majority of people. Interestingly, right after the ceremony of burial/cremation/etc is conducted, what is left of a physical body remains mostly in solitude.
