Day 12 / Turn On

Adrian Paci, film still from Turn On, 2004. Photograph provided by Adrian Paci

THE FACT OF BEING AT A CROSSROADS, AT THE FRONTIER OF TWO SEPARATE IDENTITIES, UNDERLIES ALL MY WORK ON FILM. 

—ADRIAN PACI

This film still, taken from Albanian multimedia artist Adrian Paci’s 2004 video artwork Turn On, shows a group of unemployed men waiting for work on the steps of the city square in the artist’s hometown of Shkodra. In this staged scene, Paci visualizes everyday life in a city marked by political and economic turmoil. Electrical generators, a necessity in a country with daily rolling blackouts, serve as a reminder of the region’s instability and its citizens’ vulnerability. The collective hum of the generators becomes relentless and overwhelming, underscoring a sense of tension and hardship. As the generators turn on and the camera pans out, the men’s faces are illuminated and the steps become aglow. Each person is at once isolated from and tethered to the others by a delicately shared line of electric current. 

Although intended as a commentary on post-Soviet Albania’s political and economic shifts, the scene Paci has staged here may feel familiar to many of us. Like those on the steps, we have all found ourselves waiting for a better future that, at times, may feel out of reach or beyond our means. Turn On also reminds us how societal upheaval, personal loss, or illness have the power to shape and reshape our lives and undermine our sense of stability. As a patient, waiting can often lead to loneliness and the feeling of being disconnected from support and routines.

reflections

• What does the condition of waiting illuminate for you?

• Where have you found unexpected forms of community?

• What networks of support have persisted or emerged for you in moments of crisis?

Sources

“Adrian Paci” Peter Klichmann (Zurich). Accessed October 13, 2021. www.peterkilchmann.com/artists/adrian-paci/overview/ turn-on-2004.

“Adrian Paci.” The Museum of Modern Art. Last modified January 23, 2006. www.moma.org/calendar/exhibitions/4837. 

“Discover Adrian Paci, His Works, Exhibitions and Bio.” Kaufmann Repetto. Accessed October 13, 2021. kaufmannrepetto. com/artist/adrian-paci. 

Fakhamzadeh, Babak. “Adrian Paci.” BAK (Basis voor Actuele Kunst). Last modified April 2, 2006. www.bakonline.org/program-item/adrian-paci.