Filmed in the episodic style of a sci-fi miniseries, The Common Sense revolves around the Patch, a “neurological entertainment device” that allows people to feel one another’s embodied experience, physical sensations, and emotions. When the Patch’s network suddenly breaks down and has to be rebooted, the world is changed, splitting into two parallel realities: one where wide-scale political disruptions have broken out; the other where life continues as it was before.
Melanie Gilligan is a Canadian artist based in London and New York who uses speculative and dystopian narratives to explore contemporary issues. We are delighted to premiere this new version of The Common Sense specially made for a cinema audience.
The Common Sense | Great Britain 2014. Dir: Melanie Gilligan. 90 min. DCP
Programmed by Michèle Smith
Image: Copyright Melanie Gilligan. Courtesy of the artist and Max Mayer Gallery, Düsseldorf.
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Melanie Gilligan is included in the exhibition To Refuse/To Wait/To Sleep at the Morris and Helen Belkin Gallery, UBC, January 13 - April 9.