Artist Statement for Untitled Project
The foundation of my project revolves around a physical exploration of narrative engagement within an installation space. This exploration involves the use of video-driven resonant imagery, a rhizomatic narrative structure devoid of fixed entry and exit points, and the utilization of a miniature architectural setting. This approach is framed within the context of a city, where I apply a Deleuzian critique to examine the rigid societal divisions within the symbolic realm of an urban environment. In doing so, I aim to unravel the intricate relationship between architecture, social status, the culture of consumption, and the spectacle inherent in late capitalism
This project marks a significant evolution of my previous large-scale installation works, both in terms of technical execution and conceptual depth. This approach reimagines the gallery space, embracing nonlinearity, empowering viewers to become authors of their own stories, and granting them the freedom to engage with the work from any point they choose. Unlike my earlier use of narrative sound, which restricted viewer movement and interaction, I have opted for a soundless approach. Instead, I rely on the dynamic interplay between video and physical objects to evoke powerful and resonant images. This use of video as a narrative driver retains the viewer's embodied presence within the space while facilitating fluid and unrestricted engagement. At the core of this approach lies the concept of the video narrative as nodes within the rhizome of the installation, intentionally lacking a fixed entry or neatly tied conclusions. This deliberate narrative openness and continuity aim to stimulate viewers' exploration and interpretation.
Furthermore, my project signifies a transition from my prior large-scale installations to an exploration of the miniature scale, where dollhouse-like structures take center stage. Within this diminutive world, I create a realm for crafting simulacra, allowing for an investigation of the concept of striated physical spaces and the adverse impacts they impose, particularly within the late-stage capitalism framework. By viewing the city as a holistic entity, I aim to expand upon the analogy of the city as an organism. Just as organisms require resources for sustenance and energy, cities exhibit patterns of resource consumption and allocation. Late-stage capitalism intensifies this phenomenon, turning the city into a focal point of heightened consumption, thereby emphasizing the economic forces that contribute to stark inequalities between affluent and marginalized areas.
In my analysis of the divide between private and public spaces within the urban landscape, I aim to reveal how these spaces embody critiques of late-stage capitalism, and by scrutinizing the interactions between buildings, their inhabitants, and the broader urban environment, I invite viewers to contemplate issues related to social hierarchies, status, and the influential role played by public spaces in shaping civic perceptions. This exploration underscores the encroachment of economic disparities and segregation into the very fabric of the city itself, providing viewers with a multi-layered examination of the urban environment within the context of late capitalism.
Project details:
Installation of a miniature cityscape in a gallery space, with 3D printed models and other detailed miniature elements. Narrative elements created with video monitors embedded into the buildings and mapped video projections, triggered by Arduino-controlled motion sensors.