Dropping Furniture
(Hasselt / Dorpstraat 12)
Dropping Furniture is a work by Harald Hund (1967 / Austria) and Paul Horn (1966 / Austria) that shows exactly what the title says. The video starts off in an empty room and after some time the built-up suspense is suddenly and violently disturbed by pieces of furniture falling straight down, one by one. Lights, sofa, TV, dining table and chairs, a bookcase full of books and other household items smash to pieces on the floor. The unusual and alienating occurrence of the (somewhat) slowed-down fall of the furniture acquires a certain kind of beauty. And while the world inside slowly falls to pieces, a window in the room shows a calm and sunny outside world. The sound of a dog barking in the distance intensifies the existing feeling of a true reality located outside of the room. What is so unforgettable about this video is the surrealistic sight of a completely furnished living room filled with furniture that has fallen to smithereens. If one looks through the window beside the projection, one sees the designer furniture beautifully displayed, ready to receive a new meaning.