The line between acting and reality is similarly blurred in Jannicke Låker’s Sketch For A Rape Scene. In this video, Låker assumes the role of a film director accompanied by a cameraman, and tries to motivate a reserved actor to perform a credible rape scene in a small room with a supporting actress in the role of the victim. The scene is rehearsed again and again, while the director’s instructions become increasingly aggressive – leading the main actor, provoked by Låker’s constant criticism, to become more and more brutal. His violence and anger, which are initially staged, seem to transform into authentic agitation. Moreover, the relationship between victim and perpetrator is shifted, and traditional gender dynamics are reversed. The viewer, meanwhile, must decipher what is real and what is constructed. The camera’s “reality TV”-style quick panning and abrupt cuts further intensify the viewer’s confusion. Placed in the uncomfortable role of witness to such a manipulated rape scene, the viewer must ultimately pass judgment on Låker herself for setting up this emotionally manipulative scenario, which recalls extreme psychological experiments or controlled laboratory conditions that may be considered ethically questionable.
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