The Revell plastic model kit box was originally for the container ship used in ‘Something about global capitalism but less earnest’. Although the model was eventually painted in the colours of the ‘China Shipping Line’ the illustration on the box shows it in its intended ‘Hapag Lloyd’ livery. Inside the box is a projector and media player. The image from the projector is reflected via a mirror inside a small model shipping container on top of the box. The screen for this projection is another box for a plastic model kit- this time a large scale shipping container. The completed model is on top of this box. Inside this model shipping container is a movement sensor connected to the media player.
When the container doors are opened the film begins to play.
The original film footage has been taken from YouTube and shows an accident at a container port in Karachi, Pakistan. Coincidently both ships belong to the ‘Hapag Lloyd’ line and could possibly even be the one illustrated on the plastic model kit box!
One ship has given the other stationary ship a glancing blow as it is being manoeuvred into port. This contact results in numerous shipping containers being ripped open or knocked off the ships into the water. As the containers rain down an employee has casually filmed the chaos on his telephone.
I have slowed down the film and edited it together with the music ‘Albatross’ by ‘Fleetwood Mac’. The gentle beat of the music contrasts with the lethal force of the falling debris. The drummer punctuates the end of each bar of music by gently tapping a large symbol. In editing the film I tried to time the falling of the shipping containers with these symbol punctuations.
Model kit box on the floor containing the projector pointing upwards.
A second plastic model kit box mounted to the wall. The film is projected onto the back of this box. The model kit from the box (a shipping container) is on top. Inside is the movement sensor. When the doors are opened the film begins to play.
The film is deflected at right angles from the projector in the box via a mirror inside this model shipping container