Samuel Patthey

In a hidden place, the daily routine of a retirement home unfolds as time seems to stand still. The penciled residents come to life on paper. Some are active, others rest or follow a fixed schedule that repeats each day: medication, meals, games… Around them, machines are flashing, caregivers are busy and crucifixes remind them of the death that lies in wait. Time fades away and a forest stretches out nearby.

Dan is a young man who spends a lot of time in his flat. His routine is always accompanied by electronic music pumping through his headphones. But when he steps outside, he feels disconnected from the world around him and only finds solace in nightclubs. Techno music and drugs transport him to a world where he can be himself, where he feels free. One day, he catches the eye of a baby which will change his perception of the world around him.

Encircling its central square, a new town emerges in all its diversity. A crossroad of stories, edifications, hopes, and conflicts altogether. Social ties and cultures take root. People nurture sympathy and care for their equals, but also animosity towards those who are different. It does not take long for an ‘us versus them’ atmosphere to take over. From the Main Square is an interactive VR experience that invites the viewer to witness the rise and fall of a divided society. A civilization blossoms, with all its contradictions, only to become a danger to itself.

A young art student from Switzerland arrives for six months in Tel Aviv. Through drawing he will learn to analyse, understand and open himself to this contrasted environment.