Video installation, wooden construction, 2.0 x 1.5 m, DVD, Mini DV, 15:32min, 4:3, sound, 2008
In the video installation “the white digger”, Roland Wegerer explores the poetic and existential dimensions of a simple, yet deeply symbolic act. The work features a human face lying on a bed of flour, beginning a process of self-burial by repeatedly blowing the fine white powder aside. With each breath, the flour billows upward like a fountain, momentarily suspended in the air before settling back down to cover the head and back. Over time, the face and body become increasingly obscured, eventually transforming into an abstract, almost sculptural entity.
This cyclical act—breathing, blowing, covering, and being covered—creates a mesmerizing visual rhythm that blurs the boundaries between body and material, self and environment. The flour, a fundamental cultural asset and staple of human sustenance, is here recontextualized as both a medium and a metaphor. It serves as a symbol of nourishment, tradition, and civilization, yet also becomes an agent of transformation and concealment. The existential process of breathing, essential for life, is juxtaposed with the slow, self-imposed burial, suggesting themes of transience, renewal, and the delicate balance between creation and dissolution.
The installation’s use of sound, combined with the tactile qualities of flour and the physicality of the performance, invites viewers into an immersive, multisensory experience. The wooden construction frames the scene, evoking both the intimacy of a domestic setting and the universality of ritual. The act of digging with one’s breath becomes a meditative process, a metaphor for the search for meaning, identity, and connection in a world shaped by both cultural heritage and personal experience.
Through this work, Wegerer challenges conventional notions of sculpture and performance, inviting audiences to reflect on the intersections of body, material, and environment. His creative drive and passion for innovation—summed up in his motto, “Creativity is my drive, innovation my passion”—are evident in the way he transforms everyday materials and actions into profound artistic statements.
Ultimately, “the white digger” is a meditation on the cycles of life and art, the interplay of visibility and obscurity, and the ongoing dialogue between the individual and the collective. It is a powerful example of how contemporary media art can engage with existential questions and cultural symbols, offering new perspectives on the familiar and the fundamental.
