This generation will leave the smallest physical footprint in human history.
Everyday, we distance ourselves from the control of our physical production and labor with new forms of digital production.
In today's increasingly digital age, instead of producing tangible objects, we more often create data that displays our production, which adds multiple non-physical and partially non-controllable mediums between you and your work.
This project attempts to encourage us to re-anchor ourselves and our production physically, in a progressively digital society. By having a personal, physical artifact of this moment in time, you are (symbolically) regaining control over the preservation and legacy of your life and production.
Do you have control over your "data"? What is the difference between "delete" and "destroy"? How will you be remembered? And how can you be sure you have control over that depiction? This project seeks to remind us of our agency in our production and our physical control of the world we live in, as you witness the rapid creation of different mediums that distance you from it.
I attempted to remove myself from this process of immortalization by "dehumanizing" myself (by removing my face and not interacting with any participants unless when commanded to photograph) and becoming one with the object that is used to be to be immortalized. This is to prove to the viewer/participant that no one else is necessary for them to not only understand the value of tangibility, but also to further practice ways to uphold this value.
I, as a part of the piece, was meant to be interacted with as such: a part of the piece. I was a part of my construction and my only function was to capture the participants preferred moment in time and to give them full physical control of that moment.
I (acting as a non-entity during this work) photographed participants only when commanded to. Other than when commanded, I was completely static during the duration of the piece/performance (At least 3 hours every day for about a week). The very simple idea of the participant owning a physical documentation of themselves in that moment, that they have way more agency to control, will inspire them to think more about how tangibility effects their production and the meaning of it**.**
I crafted the "photobooth" table with command instructions and a blurb on the piece itself.
Reflecting back on this piece, I really wish i had better documentation😂😅. It was my first performance piece and super inspiring for later projects I did. It was done on my art school campus where all mediums of art could be applied and production could be thought of through this lens, but I would love to take this outside of that environment and see how it lands with non artists. The varied reactions were interesting to view, as my identity (other than hands) was completely obstructed. As worried as I was that it was too heady, it was well received and looking back now a few years later, this project and its theme are major and constant thoughts of mine.
I'm gonna write another blog post eventually reflecting on my actual experience performing this piece but here's this for now, also super not a writer so sorry if this was a rough read lmao
I cant add videos to this blog post so ill put some in this channel!
feedback appreciated ✌🏾