Assignment 4 Reflection

When I first started the studio the concept of exploring place and its sacredness was something completely new to me. How we can observe what’s around us on a conscious and subconscious level was not something I ever thought about. Right from the beginning the idea of online and the internet as a site stood out to me. Being on my laptop and social media daily, online platforms are the places I find myself to be most myself and sacred to me. When Isobel, Indri and I agreed on this to be our focus for assessment 4 we were all on the same page and excited to take a different approach to the project compared to our previous work. Deciding on titling the project Online Escape took a bit of brainstorming but I think it reflects how we feel when we use our laptops or phones, as it is similar to amercing yourself in a new world.

The subject of the virtual world vs the physical world was one of the main focuses of the project. In the virtual world you have the ability to construct a new reality and identity. The notion of identity surrounds two entities; the internalised self and the projected version of self. In contrast to how individuals see themselves, the projected self relates to the characteristics and persona they choose to share with others (Aresta et al., 2015). To further explore the concept of identity and the freedom to filter and transform yourself online, we chose to include a sped up screen recording of a photo of Indri and her friend being edited and filtered. We intended for it show how you can fake authenticity and project the ideal you without people knowing. This is why the space can be sacred and personal to individuals, as it allows people to consciously develop their own identities, building, editing and removing parts of themselves in order to be perceived as their ideal selves.

Being submerged in this world, the online experience enables people to connect with those all around the world on different levels and various platforms. Even though the online space allows for people to be connected, it is still a isolating experience. By using split screen, reflecting a range of various people on their laptops facing each other yet separated, we attempted to represent how even though people can interact with each other, ultimately you are still disconnected and isolated from people. Each individual is so small and alone in relation to the online world which is vast and endless, emphasised through the use of darkness in the beginning of the video. It is an environment, a combination of public and private, that enables freedom, immersion and expression.

Through the sound, speed and arrangement of shots, we wanted to create an illustration of how the online world really is experienced. It is a different experience for each individual, however, we tried to focus purely on subjects such as isolation, connection, identity, and reality in order to further our understanding of online as a sacred place.

Bibliography:

Aresta, M., Pedro, L., Santos, C. and Moreira, A. (2015). Portraying the self in online contexts: context-driven and user-driven online identity profiles. Contemporary Social Science, 10(1), pp.70-85.