Banana Project is about a banana falling off from a table. The movements of the banana are like little magical moments, and its characteristics attract me. In The Banana Project, a banana is trying its best to do something that doesn’t fit the purpose of a banana shape: the banana cannot fall off the table by chance, like an orange
or apple, there has to be an outside force, clumsiness, or malice. Its shape does not lend itself to accidental rolling.
Bananas are weak, harmless, and humble.
When we finally pay attention to it, the skin has already been covered with bruise, and inside has been rotted like pus. You may say this film is about a banana? Yes; it is not about banana? No. Maybe a banana is not supposed to roll. A banana is curved to prevent itself from getting hurt by rolling off a table. As for me, as an artist, I wonder what art forms best fit my nature to accompany me through life.
Video by Vicky Yen
This video made me feel fuzzy inside. When i think of bananas rolling off of tables, i think of design and meaning. If a banana was not designed to roll off of a table, (assuming it was designed at all), does this imply that the banana has free will to choose to roll off the table anyways? Or does the predestined purpose of not rolling off a table deprive the banana of self determination and purpose? Can “not rolling off of a table” be considered a purpose, i wonder. Or perhaps i have it backwards, maybe staying on a table is the higher path…My point is this: Does the initial absence of purpose in life give us the freedom to choose our own meanings? (free will)
Thank you for such a great question.
It is certainly an interesting topic. I couldn’t answer you right now, but I am thinking..
Sincerely,
Vicky Yen
Hi,
I thought a lot. I think the only thing I can answer is:
There are already so many restrictions, disabilities in this world, no matter what kind of prohibition, you go for it and fell and hurt yourself and do all the stupid things first, then you can finally realize what kind of decision you can make.
The banana is “designed” not to roll, but I didn’t “realize” that until I “tested” it( physically),and animated it. People might be designed to be TOO STUPID to realize some simple things, so people need to do it to experience to learn. People didn’t DECIDE to be born, but they have to take all the consequences after they were born.
Things are in comparison. If you don’t have that restriction, you might now know what you can decide or to do. If there is no comparison, please determine free will.
I am glad that you asked something so interesting. I don’t know if I answer you the question or not.
I gave the banana a meaning of staying on the table. I am not sure if it has the ability to do so, but maybe, it could.
Vicky
I have a hard time going so far as assigning notions of “free will,” or predestination (besides their actual seed dissemination purposes) to bananas. Bananas do not have control over themselves because of their shape, however they are not subject to the same forces as round fruit; they are only partially subject to gravity, whereas round fruit has to reckon with it all the time.
Maybe it’s not that bananas have the freedom of “free will,” but they are comparatively more free than round fruit?