Where Do We Exist?
Mar 2023
Mirror: 13.7 x 48 inches, site-specific
Projector, mirror, camera, TouchDesigner, MadMapper
Statement︎︎︎
Where do we exist questions three stages of contemporary human existence.
Do we perceive our existence from a mirror？ Or from the digital world that takes
over most of our time？ Or from our body in the physical world？
In my interactive installation, audiences are positioned between a real mirror and a simulated mirror. By continuously shifting their perspectives between these two reflections, they experience the contrast between their physical self and their virtual projection. Although both mirrors present seemingly identical perspectives, subtle details reveal the artificial nature of the simulation. For instance, when looking into the simulated mirror, audiences notice themselves being detected, their reflection becoming pixelated and delayed with movement. Conversely, when they turn to the real mirror, sound is generated from the simulated mirror, subtly drawing their attention. As soon as they shift their gaze back to the simulated mirror, the sound ceases.
This interplay between the real and the virtual invites audiences to reflect on the nature of their own existence and perception in an increasingly digitized world.
In my interactive installation, audiences are positioned between a real mirror and a simulated mirror. By continuously shifting their perspectives between these two reflections, they experience the contrast between their physical self and their virtual projection. Although both mirrors present seemingly identical perspectives, subtle details reveal the artificial nature of the simulation. For instance, when looking into the simulated mirror, audiences notice themselves being detected, their reflection becoming pixelated and delayed with movement. Conversely, when they turn to the real mirror, sound is generated from the simulated mirror, subtly drawing their attention. As soon as they shift their gaze back to the simulated mirror, the sound ceases.
This interplay between the real and the virtual invites audiences to reflect on the nature of their own existence and perception in an increasingly digitized world.
BFA Thesis Show︎︎︎
CASSIDY (YITONG)
CHEN
