Pathos, video, 15", 2007 from Ofri Cnaani on Vimeo.



""PATHOS" resituates an ancient Greek drama within a modern, urban context.
In constructing this contemporary tale, Cnaani joins recurring refrains from The Odyssey with four chapters and the dramatic climax of the myth of Hercules. Faithful to the artist’s continued interest in gender and its reversal, the valiant hero of antiquity becomes the “remarkable heroine.” Her story is told by a chorus, which is situated on a downtown rooftop and functions as an elevated arena. Meanwhile her actions unfold in the city streets below.

"The video describes the woman’s trials and tribulations through a phobic and poetic journey in a city, which – like the woman – is in an eternal post-traumatic state caused by the endless mechanisms of supervision, surveillance, and control. When security increases, Pathos’s protagonist becomes increasingly horrified and insecure, causing her to embark on a lifesaving journey. Along the way Cnaani activates the space between the screen and the imagination, between the inner trauma and the actual mega-city."