Mediocrity - Artist Portrait

Mediocrity started with the question “Hey Teun, how do I make a good video of my friends atelier in Johannesburg? He has to move out soon”. This was in Cape Town, February 2023. Shortly after we spoke about his work and atelier, I came up with the initiativ to shoot a portrait film about Jean. We bought plane tickets and a few days later I was sitting next to Jean in his building in Johannesburg. For your imagination, Jean lived in a 14-floor building in the center of Joburg, of which the other 13-floors were empty and in a post-apocalypse state. Johannesburg hasn’t know good times recently, companies fled from the cities poor economy and an empty concrete jungle remained.

Shortly after we met, Jean and I noticed that we shared the same energy. We used the first day to connect, talk, laugh, reflect, eat and drink. During one of the conversation we were having, I carefully put my phone and the table with the intention to record our conversation. After a long talk, we realised that this chat was the fundament of our movie and based on this, we started to plan the second day. 48 hours of fun resulted into a project that is closed to my heart. Jean du Plessi was one of the most inspiring person’s I have met so far. Our conversations were beyond this project, attached you find the full recording of our conversation. Project Mediocrity started with the question “Hey Teun, how do I make a good video of my friend's atelier in Johannesburg? He has to move out soon” (Cape Town, February 2023). Shortly after we spoke about his work and atelier, I came up with the initiative to shoot a portrait film about Jean. We bought plane tickets and a few days later I was sitting next to Jean on the fifth floor of this building in Johannesburg. Imagine the scene, Jean lived in a 14-floors building in the center of Joburg, in which the other 13-floors were in shambles and a post-apocalyptic state. Johannesburg hasn’t known good times recently.. Companies fled from the cities due to unfavorable economic conditions and an empty concrete jungle remained.
 
Shortly after we met, Jean and I not only noticed we shared the same energy but the same creative passion also fueled us. We used the first day to connect, talk, laugh, reflect, eat and drink. During one of the conversation we were having, I carefully put my phone on the table with the intention to record our conversation, as we often drifted away from our initial topic to venture at the very edge of our imagination and discuss the world, but mostly how we apprehend it as artists in our own way.
 
After a long talk, we realised this chat was to be the foundation of our movie and based on this, we started to plan the second day. 48 hours of fun resulted in a project I very much hold close to my heart. Jean du Plessi was one of the most inspiring person I have met so far on my journey. Our conversations were beyond this project.
 
I would like to share this conversation with the world via the recording you'll find attached. A small window into a deep, enriching and sincere exchange.
 
Mediocrity, by Teun Sand and Jean du Plessi.

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A special thank you to Agnesha Kollien for asking me how to film her friends atelier.

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