Sleep Performance #2, Anne Glassner/Franziska Koppensteiner, Viertelfestival NÖ, Gmünd, 2014

The most natural thing in the world is sleep. But how natural is sleep really in our society? So-called sleep disorders rank among new widespread diseases. Triggered by stress, sensory overload and achievement pressure, many of us today are unable to find rest even in sleep. If we look beyond stress and performance pressure, then the acceleration of time plays a decisive role. Without the development of the machine, which is nothing more than a technical aid, such a rapid lifestyle would be impossible. Now we must learn to function in this enviroment as parts of the mechanism, therefore we ourselves become machines, and even our regeneration must be accelerated. Reaction is, however, a biological necessity. If sleep disorders occur and we try to remedy them with mechanical help, then this is a contradiction in terms. The Sleep Machine is meant to help frantic and stressed people find sleep. In our adaptation to the machine, sleep has become subordinate to the machine‘s rapid rhythm.

photo: Armin Hak-Hagir