Nkera Herbert

THE VIRTUAL TEMPTATION

Performance

August 2025

 

 

Virtual Temptation examines how we exist in the digital age. Hyper-connected yet profoundly isolated. We tell distant acquaintances we miss them while ignoring the person sitting next to us. We scroll endlessly, trapped in cycles of consumption where attention has become our most prized commodity.

During my residency at Raumstation, I created a solo performance exploring human relationships with technology. I controlled every element: sound, lighting, movement. The work itself became a technological experiment, mirroring the theme of digital disconnection I was investigating.

Being away from home, crossing oceans, created an unexpected revelation. Disconnected from my familiar world, I connected deeply with the people around me. Nina, Samuel, Marius, Clarissa, Martina, Patricia, Jan, Hannah, Samira, Seonha, Frédéric, to mention a few. They were present, they were there, and this genuine presence made my time at Raumstation unforgettable. I experienced what my work was calling for: a real human connection.

The wagon space became the perfect metaphor. A contained environment. A bubble. Like the digital spaces we inhabit daily, we scroll through endless content while the physical world passes by unnoticed.

I navigated Stuttgart using Google Maps. Technology aided my exploration of the city. This contradiction fascinates me. Technology is one of the greatest tools we have created. It connects us across continents. It guides us through unfamiliar streets. But we must remain conscious of how we use it.

The performance followed a character through daily routines. Wake. Work. Scroll. Repeat. Short videos. Constant notifications. The mental toll of never being fully present. We fear missing what happens online for a mere two hours. We exist in fragments, unable to recollect the whole meaning of a conscious moment.

Virtual Temptation asks: How do we reclaim our attention? How do we reconnect with what stands directly in front of us? My time at Raumstation showed me the answer. Put down the phone. Look up. Be present with who is actually there and where you are in that very moment.

 

Photocredits: Nkera Herbert, Patricia Paryz, Clarissa Kassai