Cinema is a dark place : an investigation into fear, darkness and the spectacle in cinema and installation art

Abstract

This research aims to analyze the relationship between Fear, Darkness and Horror in Cinema while investigating how these are perceived and experienced through Installation Art. This was done through the study of various fields, namely, studies related to what fear is and our biological, and psychological response to it, investigations on darkness, its’ link to fear and the horror genre, and the experiences of cinema as a place where darkness can be encountered. The relationship between fear and excitement in the spectacle is also explored. Cinema was analyzed and after deconstructing it to its basic elements, these were examined individually. All of these subjects were brought together with the aim of producing an artwork, which would lead the audience to question the idea of fear as excitement in the genre of horror through the independent fundamental elements of cinema.