From Michael Keaton meeting Michael Keaton, meeting Michael Keaton in the film Multiplicity, to our recent post on the surreal photography of Kevin Corrado, we’re getting used to seeing people repeated in film. It’s often as simple as cut and paste, so when New Yorkers were recently confronted with the “effect” right before their eyes, what looked like something out of a movie became a confusing, mind bending reality.
Improv Everywhere, legends of the flash mob and a staple surprise attraction of New York City, recently outdid themselves by filling a small city park with eight sets of identical quadruplets. The sets where stylishly dressed alike and sent out to interact with unsuspecting passerby, giving witnesses plenty of reason for some unbelieving double-takes.
Can you imagine having this situation presented to you? How long do you think it would take for you to wrap your head around what was really happening? Would you jump to thinking it was makeup or magic first? Sometimes, it seems, the truth is harder to believe than fiction. Check out the video for this project and its prequel, Human Mirror, below, then see more great social experimentation at improveverywhere.com
Quadruplets
Update: Oh man, I’ve got to admit it: they totally got me hook, line and sinker! This turns out to be a very well done April Fools joke… but I’m happy to play the fool as long as it makes me laugh! Now I’m going to go console myself with the happy news that the prank made the front page of MSN… reported as fact.
Human Mirror
