Circumstances. All together now, Blender, Coffee, Determination (1), Determination (4), Situation (1)

The often oppressive situation at the dinner table during large family gatherings is the focus of the video All Together Now by Belgian artist Hans Op de Beeck. With a wedding, a funeral and a large birthday celebration, he has chosen three exemplary events to which even distant relatives are often invited. Such gatherings are not only fraught with great expectations, but also have the potential for stirring up conflicts. In slow motion, the camera glides past the people at the dinner parties, capturing moments of joy, aggression and even speechlessness, which are all common at any family celebration. With his video, he picks up on the classic genre of family portraiture, but reveals such gatherings as staged familial rituals in which each individual plays a specific role.