Normal Accidents
Moving Image, 1 Film 7:13 min
2018
To many people, the everyday world appears to be safe and reliable on a surface level. Still, it constantly teeters between stability and downfall beneath this surface, thus between a state of normality and a state of emergency. These two states, however, are only seemingly separated, as the possibility of accidents is always part of normality. Particularly in an increasingly technicized world, which is driven by a desire for security and comfort, the downfall (nemesis) is always already part of the system but is often suppressed by an overestimation of one's technical capabilities (hubris). Although technology increases security in many instances, it also increases insecurity, as accidents are immanent to any technical system due to technical failure or human error. In this sense, accidents are normal in any technical system. The world thus tumbles always between these two states, which becomes visible in the event of an accident.
When accidents are not viewed as accidental but as inherent properties of technical systems, the occurrence of an accident may reveal the true nature of these systems. In this regard, Paul Virilio has called for museums of accidents, as it would provide a more comprehensive perspective on the world compared to museums of achievements. In the event of an accident, a complex system breaks down, revealing its parts and relationships, and what was previously hidden in a black box becomes visible. In such an event, the familiar world and its habitual interactions break down, and the things become visible.
The film Normal Accidents examines the phenomenon of technical accidents by employing a forensic approach to critical historical accidents, as well as a speculative perspective on potential accidents. It consists of a series of vignettes that provide a fragmented view of the respective accidents. These recreations of specific aspects and elements of the accidents render these accidents visible as a latent possibility in the technical system. Furthermore, this close-up view of these accidents breaks the customary association of accidents with spectacular images, allowing us to view them as ordinary rather than extraordinary events.
Credits
Concept and Design: Björn Franke and Clemens Winkler
Video: Björn Franke and Clemens Winkler
Exhibitions
Work in Progress, Zurich University of the Arts, Zurich, Switzerland, December 16–17, 2019.