The Common Sense

The Common Sense is a video installation comprising 15 episodes of film, each six minutes long. The work is designed to be presented on 15 flat screens mounted on a scaffolding structure which can be adapted to each specific gallery space. Gilligan is a Canadian artist who trained at Central Saint Martins School of Art in London. She is best known for her video works which explore life in the near future in a dark and sometimes humorous way. In the Common Sense, Gilligan shows a world in which a device known as “The Patch” allows users to transmit their emotions and feelings to others. The dystopian narrative does not have to be viewed chronologically, and two alternative outcomes are offered. The Common Sense is the first acquisition made by the University of Edinburgh’s Contemporary Art Research Collection. The aim is to use the collection – its construction, interpretation and care – as a research and teaching tool across a range of disciplines, as well as making it available for public exhibitions and programmes.