“TV Guides” by Ritter

“…TV has, some feel, introduced a kind of rigor mortis into the body politic.” Marshall McLuhan(Understanding Media, 1964)

Viewers confront a living room environment that contains a video display playing live-broadcast programs. The television imagery is overlaid with cross hairs within a circle, giving the impression that viewers are separated from the programs by a viewing scope When viewers move within the installation, the audio and video fade out, and the cross hairs recede into a black screen followed by text that requests viewers to remain still. The television imagery and sound resume only after all viewers within the installation have remained motionless for at least five seconds. Each time the television program is switched off in response to viewers’ movements, different text messages are provided on the screen, such as “Please Remain Still” or “Just Relax.”