SUPERHIGH

Describe your idea and concept of your work in relation to the festival outlines:

German artist duo Boris Eldagsen and Sabine Taeubner produced SUPERHIGH, a 40-minute film using mockumentary and reality-show elements to create a clash between drug-free and classic drug highs. SUPERHIGH proposes an online dialogue at http://superhigh.arte.tv – commencing on World Television Day, November 21st, 2013.

In the video work, six candidates showcase methods of getting high without drugs (Candle Staring, Knock Out Kiss, Whirling Dervish, 12 Cycle Meth Breath, Kin Hen Meditation and more). Personified drugs – Cocaine, LSD and Speed – form the jury and judge their efforts. In round II, the candidates combine two drug-free methods, while Ketamine, MDMA and Marihuana are joining the jury.

“We create what Alejandro Jodorowsky wanted to achieve with his failed film project 'Dune': to make people that haven’t taken drugs, feel high.” says Boris Eldagsen.
“It was more difficult to find someone who would stare into a flame for 30 minutes than someone willing to smoke a joint and drink ten vodkas in front of a camera. SUPERHIGH is a cross-media platform. The video is just the beginning. We want to make museums and clubs high on installations and events”, adds Sabine Taeubner.

SUPERHIGH is co-produced by Arte Creative, the international magazine, lab and network of contemporary culture, and a satellite of German-French cultural TV station Arte. SUPERHIGH fulfils all that digital natives wish for: the 'Highbrary' – an online library on the subject hosted by Pinterest – and a Facebook page where users can post alternative methods of getting high. The audience is also invited to vote for their SUPERHIGH amongst the jury, candidates and host.

SUPERHIGH's world premiere took place in front of an audience of over 300 people on November 20, 2013 at Platoon Kunsthalle, Berlin. Since then, the online platform www.superhigh.org had 25.000 visitors and 750 voters.

In March 2014 SUPERHIGH started to tour as a nomadic event through European museums.

For Van Abbemuseum in Eindhoven / Netherlands, Eldagsen & Taeubner created a ‘SUPERHIGH Yourself’ parcours around the central video work, hacking the museum’s collection by placing how-to posters and SUPERHIGH tools next to famous art works of the 21st century.

Visitors SUPERHIGHed themselves through a range of drug-free methods from DOPAMINE DISCO, ASMR, 12 CYCLE METH BREATH, BIG BINAURAL BEATBOX, CONCHA CONSCIOUSNESS, ENIGMA, GANZFELD, CHRONOSYNCLASTIC INFUNDIBULUM, KNOCK OUT KISS, EYEBALL LICKING, JENKEM, KNOCKOUT KISS or PORN. The museum’s staff wore ‘TRIPSITTER’ T-Shirts and took care of the visitors!
This is how it looked like: http://superhigh.arte.tv/ontour/exhibitions/

What kind of communication approach do you use?

Mockumentary hijacking arte creative. Plus Social Media Satellites (Facebook / Pinterest). http://superhigh.arte.tv/suggest/ http://superhigh.arte.tv/highbrary/ For Events we have T-Shirts for the guards (TRIPSITTER) and 'SUPERHIGH YOurself!' parcours http://superhigh.arte.tv/ontour/exhibitions/

What are in your opinion concrete benefits to the society because of your communication?

Stop thinking in terms of legal and illegal drugs. Start thinking in active and passive highs.

What did you personally learn from creating your submitted work?

That there are endless ways of getting high without drugs.

Why is your work, GOOD communication WORK?

Because it works. Just watching the whole show will make you high without drugs.

Where and how do you intent do implement your work?

Have more 'SUPERHIGH Yourself!' events

Did your intervention had an effect on other Media. If yes, describe the effect? (Has other media reported on it- how? Were you able to change other media with your work- how?)

Check out here: http://superhigh.arte.tv/ontour/reviews/