k. Roy Villevoye, The Video Message

THE VIDEO MESSAGE

Roy Villevoye, 2010, Netherlands
4 min 38 sec

In The Video Message Omama talks about what happened to him after he collaborated on the development of the life-size, realistic statue that Roy Villevoye made of him: Madonna. The core of the story is that by participating in the project he sold his soul. Not in the figurative sense as we mean it, but literally. By selling this reproduction of his likeness he lost himself. Moreover, the further consequence was that his bond with the community and his family were broken. According to Omama his recent illness was also the result of this. Not only what he says, but also how he tells it leaves a strong impression. Omama is completely himself and is in no way influenced by the camera. In fact, it is as if the eye of the camera – and therefore our presence as a viewer – does not matter. That, whilst creating an image, is exactly what the story of Omama is about. It is this symmetry in particular which gives this video its strength and clarity.