320,000 Times, 2026

5-channel video with sound

This work is based on my ten months of experience working as an online casino dealer. The video follows dealer’s body parts doing their exact movements on exact seconds. In this five-channel video, different levels intertwine. The level of ultimate professionalism—the movements, tone of voice, and manner of speech of the dealer on screen are measured with extreme precision. Her job is to be perfect. The level of hope. The player has twelve seconds to make a choice. Twelve seconds of excitement is what he pays for. Twelve seconds of not knowing whether he won or lost. The level of loneliness. The dealer cannot see the player, only herself on the screen. The dealer’s monotonous work at the card table alternates with monotonous breaks. She drinks coffee, eats a cookie, puffs a vape. The dealer looks at her face in the mirror to touch up her makeup. When the break ends, the dealer returns to work and it all starts over. Twelve seconds of hope again. The same phrases, the same movements. Tens, hundreds, thousands, hundreds of thousands of times. Despite its documentary origins, the work is not about gambling or casino addiction. This work is about longing, real and apparent possibilities, and fragmentation in the world saturated with temptations that surrounds us. Translation of the Estonian words that appear in the middle video: during every shift I drink 4 cups of coffee I drink and watch red seconds ticking until the end of the break right hand moves from left to right 12 seconds right hand moves from right to left 12 seconds I did this 320 000 times in the morning evening night I never saw them they saw me all the time they have 12 seconds for placing bets right or left dollars rupees euros dinars they have 12 seconds to see if they win or lose there is no end of this game and nobody remembers the beginning when I leave the next dealer comes to my place and the next one and the next one