Unrendered, Media Offline

2009 • Directed by

Seoungho Cho

In this video, Cho conjures a frightening world of humans engulfed by electronic lights and flares. At first, the silhouettes of men and women passing in front of an electronic billboard are inter-cut with flashes of neon signs and the glowing filament of a light bulb. The rapid-fire editing and Cho's accompanying soundtrack portends an ominous progression. The silhouettes give way to a solitary figure, standing at the edge of a raging bonfire. This image is suddenly interrupted by a written warning: "Media Offline. Unrendered," drawing out the darker suggestions of this rote editing software message, to comment on the precarious human dependence on technology.