The fragmentary narrative of Maja Čule’s A Feature Shared by All (2017) examines airports as a place where economic divisions structure both the architectural and the individual experiences of travelling. The artist arranges video footage collected while travelling and during waiting times at different airports into a series of micro-narratives, including scripted parts filmed with a group of non-actors at LaGuardia Airport, New York. The narrative follows the organizational structure of airport terminals, and each chapter of the video starts with a letter, outside the alphabetical order. These scripted scenes include travelers sharing information, delineating measures against epidemic influenza, and receiving news reports that warn about “an apocalyptic swarm of mosquitos.” The latter is a phenomenon that could potentially disrupt the smoothness of operational processes, representing an invisible threat within A Feature Shared by All. The travelers’ customary nervousness melts together with sound bites, transient images, and estranging encounters. Smartphones act as their owners’ emotional safeguards; travelers tend to switch roles with the airport staff to avoid personal contact.

Performers: Heather Berman, Marsha Cann, Ioanna Chasta, Pamela Mcpherson-Cornelius, Anna Khachiyan, Angela Mckee, Susan O’Doherty
Video Editors: Ronnie Bass and Maja Čule
Audio Editor: Bojan Čizmić
Production Assistants: Chris Lehman, Tyler Sayles
First screening at Company Gallery, New York 2017