Projects overview
Birds of a feather lip sync together
Birds of a feather lip-sync together is an art project that engages with the concept of context collapse, a phenomenon inherent in our digital communications. Using a seamless fusion of technology and art, this project transforms live Twitter discourse into a multi-sensory experience.
At the heart of this project is a process that fetches real-time tweets, converting these text-based messages into an auditory format. This step not only shifts the modality of the message but also introduces layers of interpretation and nuance that come with spoken language. The interpretation is further complicated by stripping these spoken words from their original digital context, exemplifying the essence of context collapse.
These auditory messages are then paired with generated lip-sync videos, creating an uncanny representation of human expression. The visual component intensifies the experience, highlighting the surreal convergence of human and machine communication, and bringing to the forefront the intricacies and potential miscommunications that arise in our digital society.
By transforming tweets into audio-visual narratives, “Echoes of the Twittersphere” invites viewers to contemplate the complexities and implications of our digital communications, emphasizing how our words can be perceived and interpreted in myriad ways once they depart from their original context.
Digital Whispers and Online Winks
Digital Whispers and Online Winks’ explores the intricate and unpredictable dynamics of information exchange in our digital era. The interconnected nature of digital communication, the occurrence of context collapse, and the notion of media geography are all underscored through the blending of physical computing technology with microfilm artistry. the artwork seeks to highlight the critical role of media literacy in today’s world.
The installation features microdots, miniaturized images of a specific, significant digital communication: the leaked private chat of Dr. Li Wenliang. This chat, containing an early warning about a possible SARS-like virus outbreak, was unexpectedly disseminated on social media, causing far-reaching consequences. The microdots serve as a tangible illustration of how context collapse can shape our perceptions and responses to shared information.
The microdots serve as a tangible illustration of how context collapse can shape our perceptions and responses to shared information, reflecting the complexity of the relationship between media, communication, and the spatial elements of our social existence.
A CNC robot device, equipped with a microscope, traverses this landscape of microscopic narratives. As it navigates the microdots, a monitor displays the magnified images, translating these digital whispers and online winks into the tangible realm. The robot’s exploration of the microdots, coupled with the evolving video narrative, exemplifies how technology mediates our interaction with information, mapping out our contemporary media geography.
A vital component of this installation is an experimental video displayed on an iPhone. The video commences with a black screen, onto which usernames gradually appear, mimicking watermarks found on reposted social media content. As the usernames layer, older ones pixelate and shift to a green hue, symbolizing the degradation of internet images through repetitive downloading and reposting, a digital parallel to ‘Chinese whispers’. The video culminates in a completely green, pixelated screen, underscoring the distortion and loss of context in the viral information journey.
‘Digital Whispers and Online Winks’ encourages viewers to reflect on the implications of our shared digital reality, where whispers can become shouts, and winks can have lasting consequences.”
Dr liwenliang leaked private chat history
Microdots.....
Research
Building upon Dr. Liu Hailong's discussions on context collapse, context collusion/collision, and media literacy, I ventured into the writings of Erving Goffman. His seminal work on symbolic interactionism and dramaturgy, particularly his concept of the 'backstage,' provided valuable insights into the construction of self-presentation in digital spaces.
I also delved into early debates surrounding context collapse and networked bodies, with works by danah boyd, Nathan Jurgenson, and Jean Burgess. These authors offered different perspectives on the impact of social media, self- presentation, and the blurring of public and private boundaries.
Additionally, I explored the historical evolution of media communication, such as Marshall McLuhan's "Understanding Media" and Neil Postman's "Amusing Ourselves to Death." These works of cultural and societal implications of media technologies, enriched my understanding of the broader context in which I practice as an artist. I drew connections between the events I observed online and the theories I learned, further enriching my research.