Who Am I by Kayiu Lei & Runyu Dong
Big image reference:
Cavender, E. (2023)TikTok convinced me I had seen the best of Taylor Swift’s ‘The Eras Tour.’ Until I saw it in theaters. [image] Credit: Getty Images / Emma McIntyre/TAS23 / Contributor. Available at: https://mashable.com/article/taylor-swift-the-eras-tour-review?test_uuid=01iI2GpryXngy77uIpA3Y4B&test_variant=a [Accessed 10 Oct. 2024].
Reflection:
In reflecting on my exhibited project, I find that it represents a blend of my previous experiments and personal exploration. Who Am I engages the audience by inviting them to rethink how digital media shapes our understanding of self. The mosaic of Taylor Swift’s face, built from different elements representing various parts of her digital identity, was designed to provoke a reflection on how public figures are constructed through online interactions. Each small square, such as fan interactions, memes, and social media comments, forms a tiny part of the whole, much like how digital identities are pieced together from our online engagements. Drawing inspiration from The New Aesthetic (Bridle, 2012), where Bridle emphasises how digital technologies change our view of the world, Who Am I aimed to blur the line between the digital and real. Bridle(2012) discusses how perspectives, like those from Google Street View, alter how we see the world, reflecting the fragmented and evolving nature of digital identity. This concept was reflected in the mosaic. This mosaic created an eerie reflection of how our identities can be constructed by others and are always changing. The studio exhibition allowed me to witness firsthand how audiences engaged with the mosaic, with some standing close to the screen to inspect the detailed squares. The fragmented nature of the piece reflected how we usually engage with digital media in bits and pieces, rather than as a complete picture.
Through making, I learnt that digital media can evoke a sense of unease. One particularly strong feeling provoked by digital media is disorientation and the heaps of possibilities it offers. I translated this feeling into practice by using various types of content for the mosaic and varying the speed at which the squares moved. These choices represented how our lives are shaped by different experiences, each moving at its own pace, contributing to who we are. The small gaps between the squares in the mosaic also represent the fragmented nature of digital identity, which is never truly whole, and give the final image a glitch-like quality. This aligns with the work of Cameron on glitches as disruptions in digital spaces. As Cameron(2017) notes, glitches force us to confront the materiality of digital media, disrupting the expected smoothness and creating moments of uncanny recognition. My experiment with the mosaic further conveyed this idea by showing that even carefully curated identities are never perfectly controlled, reflecting Gronlund’s(2014:6) idea of “a conception of identity as not controllable by one’s self, but determined and organised by factors beyond one’s scope.” Through this process, I realised that disorientation and endless possibilities are core characteristics of digital media, not accidental side effects.
Experimentation was central to the development of my project. Over the semester, I experimented with various forms of digital media, from altering image codes to create glitches, to exploring how data exists everywhere. I realised that there is no definitive right or wrong in experimenting. In early versions of the mosaic, I struggled to align the squares, resulting in an image that felt messy rather than intentional. However, this tension gradually resolved as I leaned into the imperfections, realising that they could contribute to the overall theme of fragmented identity. The decision to embrace these “glitches” allowed the project to evolve into something that wasn’t only technically proficient but also conceptually rich.
Collaboration was also important in shaping the project. Working with others helped expand my ideas and push the boundaries of what was possible. For instance, my initial concept was much simpler, but after discussing it with Rachel and receiving feedback from classmates, we decided to push the mosaic further by adding an interactive element where the squares would “fly around” on the screen, representing the shifting nature of identity. This collaboration opened up new possibilities for exploration, allowing me to think of digital identity as not just something fixed. The collaboration within the class also led to the success of our exhibition. Everyone had different roles, such as managing AV, booking props, and creating the website. This exhibition wouldn’t have been as wholesome without everyone’s contributions.
Another key collaboration was the work on the website. We only began working on it after the exhibition because we wanted to ensure it included everyone’s work and our collective “home.” As a result, time was tight, especially since it was the end of the semester. This made things difficult as we no longer had regular class meetings to facilitate collaboration. Coordinating remotely while juggling other assignments and responsibilities added to the challenge, but it also highlighted the importance of clear communication within the team. During the exhibition, everyone was assigned a responsibility, and I was responsible for photographing everyone’s work and uploading it to the website. We also changed the background colour to yellow, as the warm tone fit the theme of “home sweet home.” Despite the time constraints, we managed to complete the website on time, ensuring that it reflected our theme and showcased the great work produced by everyone.
If I were to continue working on this media artefact, I would focus on improving the interactive aspect. The core idea I would want to extend is the audience’s ability to manipulate the mosaic in real-time, perhaps allowing them to rearrange the squares or zoom into specific elements of the image. This would further highlight the fluidity of digital identity and how it is shaped by both personal and external forces.
The studio has had a profound impact on my understanding of digital media. It has pushed me to think critically about how we interact with digital spaces and how these spaces shape both our individual and collective identities. Readings like Kitchin and McArdle’s discussion of Big Data have also influenced my thinking, particularly regarding how much of our digital selves are shaped by algorithms and unseen forces (Kitchin & McArdle, 2016). Focusing on pushing boundaries and exploring the uncanny and surreal aspects of digital media has allowed me to experiment freely and take creative risks, deepening my understanding of how digital technologies shape the world around us. I would never have thought about the weird or uncanny part of digital media without this studio. It was indeed amazing.
Bridle, J. (2012) The New Aesthetic. British journal of photography. 159 (7804), 66–71.
Cameron, A. (2017) Indefinite Visions: Facing the Glitch: Abstraction, Abjection and the Digital Image. Edinburgh University Press. https://doi.org/10.1515/9781474407137-022
Gronlund, M. (2014) From Narcissism to the Dialogic: Identity in Art after the Internet. Afterall. 37 (1), 4–13. doi:10.1086/679372.
Kitchin, R., & McArdle, G. (2016) What makes Big Data, Big Data? Exploring the ontological characteristics of 26 datasets. Big Data & Society, 3(1). https://doi.org/10.1177/2053951716631130