The human being as a shell, a machine – forced into inactivity or driven by appointments, tasks, or deadlines. A machine knows only two states: On or Off, 0 or 1. Indifference and coldness, emotionlessness with consistent productivity, reliability, and loyalty – these define machines. They are developed to serve humans unconditionally. In and of themselves, they are impartial. Ideology can only be instilled in them by their operators.

 

The performance INSERT presented as part of her exhibition Favorite Words at the cultural venue Die Bäckerei in Innsbruck in 2018, explores themes of alienation and mechanization in modern society. The exhibition itself took place between December 2016 and January 2017. In addition to myself and Bertram Schrecklich, David Prieth performed at the opening event. At the closing event, only Bertram and I performed. The exhibition delves into the complex relationship between humans and machines, portraying the human body both as an isolated object and as part of automated processes. In my work, I challenge the audience to confront the omnipresent alienation in their own actions, increasingly shaped by work pressure, mass production, and consumption. Isolation here is not merely a physical experience but also a profound disconnection from one’s own actions, which more and more resemble the repetitive, programmed, and impersonal characteristics of machines. This aligns with the ongoing thematic exploration of control, loss, and the dehumanizing effects of modern work culture, prompting viewers to question the increasingly blurred boundaries between human free will and mechanical automation. The human-machine remains trapped within a narrow scope of action. Even when it attempts to communicate outwardly, little reaches its universe or penetrates back to it. The act of writing—an active process in the performance—does not cease; there is no end in sight. The human-machine persistently and futilely tries to communicate, its communication reduced to a meaningless Sisyphean task.