aqua fortis // violet webster
Artist Statement
I’m a New York based multimedia artist using a visual language of movement and color as it relates to the collective consciousness of social media. My work references the Instagram app and the conversation between the individual and the
community. I often analyze the relaxing overstimulation inherent in the media we consume and tend to under analyze. My work focuses on collecting and presenting the social media algorithm as an artistic medium itself revealing the code behind
the quandary.
Project Statement
What is scrawled upon the walls of a solitary confinement cell?
Aqua Fortis looks to serve the audience as a disjointed view of online consumption, through the Hedonistic ritual of scrolling and the ingestion of subservient imagery on Instagram. The ritual of movement is so precise and mechanized that
advertisements slip right in. Using the lens of hyper realism, the video is a view of online consumption and how mentally taxing the content can be though it is readable at the speed at which the video scrolls. All that is seen is in the
periphery, the content is not truly there. Similar to the act of leaving the television on and leaving the room, letting the noise slowly filter into your space and cancel the true noise of the mind. This experience is a visual illustration
of checking out.
When in that dulled and susceptible space, coddled like a baby in the arms of a mother, what are we being fed? The consumer culture surrounding and penetrating this space is permeating into our softened minds. This work is therefore a more
violent meditation than one originally may have thought. Social media mirrors our discomfort from the two years of quarantined stasis. What was then created on a platform based on social interaction?
midnight snack // leonardo cheng huang
Artist Statement
My Chinese heritage was diversified by my childhood in Venezuela. My exposure to both of these cultures allowed me to explore common grounds through the use of photography and videography. I explore Gastronomy to reconcile my two national
identities. It is enriching to use mixed media to showcase my passion for food and to develop my own fusion profile. The coincidence of mutual exposure can instantiate a completely new tradition, one that is not fixed geographically but
validates the expanse of experience.
Project Statement
Midnight Snack is a short film that explores the culture of Anglo Eastern fusion through a matcha ceremony. This was inspired when I first moved to the U.S. after studying abroad for several years in China. Cultural disparities affected my
ability to assimilate, making me frustrated on having to adopt a certain identity to conform. I wanted to symbolically reconcile my two identities by harmonizing two different traditions of drinking tea. Tea is not simply a beverage but an
opportunity to be grounded and to recharge. This fusion helps me to express the relevance of mindfulness in any cultural context. I envisage a world where there is a possibility of harmony from these constructive emergences of cross cultural
diffusions.
clandestine // ling chen
Artist Statement
IMy name is Ling Chen, and I am a visual artist interested in opening conversations about internet culture, gender studies, generations, and race. I’ve always enjoyed art and illustration portraying philosophical values and meanings about
life. Through the usage of the internet, it made it possible for me to hear everyone’s perspective on their life and how they choose to live. I believe the phrase “Medium is the message.” by Marshall McLuhan is an important reflection of how
the media is used to portray messages. With the overwhelming amount of information online, I hope to bring media clarity and factual accuracy within my works.
Project Statement
[Clandestine] is a multimedia piece about the different popular internet trends between 2020 – 2021. Inspired by the YouTube Commentary channels such as Tiffany Ferg, I hope to analyze these trends with a deeper question. How is the media
moving our thoughts and feelings? How is utilization of the media giving certain groups advantages? These are the questions I would like to explore. The Instagram page is a space where the viewer can make comments after viewing each piece.
This gives viewers agency to share how they feel after looking at the trends with a new lens. My objective is to open conversations unpacking internet trends, such as user and creator impact. I hope the viewer can take something out from my
project and apply it to their own internet usage shifting their internet habits and behaviors.
twisted white // jing chen
Artist Statement
My name is Jing Chen. I am a New York-based multimedia artist specializing in animation and graphic design. My artwork takes a critical view of social, political, and cultural issues. Often relating to the digital age, my work explores the
varying relationships between technology, popular culture, and new media art. Since the first day we shifted to the information age, we have experienced many conveniences brought by technology. The internet, and other forms of rapid
communication technology, have made access to information ubiquitous. Yet, the internet is also a space where popular symbols and images are subverted into abusive forms of language. We can see these trends that distort and misinterpret our
language and culture to spread hateful messages. By exposing these problems in my artwork, I hope that our language and culture can stop being manipulated, distorted, and misinterpreted to spread hate.
Project Statement
“Twisted White” is a piece that consists of multiple clips demonstrating how the meaning of white has been twisted over time. Each clip gives the viewer an insight into perspectives coming from different groups of people. Each perspective
also brings us into their very own world, revealing the meaning of white hidden beneath its original meaning. I hope, by creating this piece, the viewer can realize how words and objects around us have been manipulated, distorted, and
misinterpreted. We should stop compulsively adding meaning to words and objects to spread hate, and make our world more complex than it used to be.
uniform // jason barbosa
Artist Statement
I
My name is Jason Barbosa, a digital storytelling artist displaying the corruption and content misuse investigating how it finds its way into the digital world, video, and social media. I use acting and video scenes to display work hierarchy,
viewer awareness, and self-hatred. These videos works are inspired by technology, pop culture, and work environments. These video works are inspired from dystopian futures, technological environments, influencers, and audience retention to
convey the loss of identity when social media and technology are incorporated in our lives in a negative fashion that corrupts ones work and integrity.
Project Statement
The work “Uniform” explores how video content creation and social media collide to create content that viewers are getting tired of watching. This same kind of online content is then being repeated and copied multiple times on multiple
platforms. We then see the perspective of the content creator engaging in content creation, the content creator comes to loathe their work due to the subsequent restrictions from their sponsors and their viewers by seeing this lack of effort
being displayed into a negative cycle. This work utilizes videos from various media platforms such as YouTube and Tik-Tok to display the regurgitation of content and live reenactments. The work seeks to emotionally drain the audience
displaying the emotions being felt by both viewers and content creators alike.
criminal's mind // shixing lin
Artist Statement
IMy name is Shixing Lin. I immigrated from Fujian, China when I was 14 years old. As I got to experience both the eastern and western cultures, I was interested in finding common ground in both. I found myself intensely passionate about
stereotypes and justice in our society because I want to foster greater community. Racial stereotypes and stigmatization can create significant confusion and conflict. It can start small as “All Asians are good at math.” to the 2020’s case of
George Floyd in police brutality. My art work often incorporates photography, writing, and drawing to raise awareness of societal issues.
Project Statement
I used an open source game engine to create a 3D exhibition, with different objects and photographs, to explore the process of how society pushes a person to commit a crime. In my opinion, criminals are nurtured not born into being criminals.
Every element of my project has its implication to show society forces them to be criminals. When viewers explore the exhibition, they will see various pieces of media, including biased newspapers, on the wall to show how publications often
amplify the violent facts and create appealing headlines to attract more viewers. This effect can negatively affect the beliefs of viewers and alter their behaviors. Afterward, the viewer will see a person who wears a cheap white t-shirt and
a person who wears a black suit. They can be physically aware of the gap between the wealthy and poverty. Lastly, viewers enter a room that has several pictures on the wall. It shows that the police often identify criminals by color or race.
I believe that if more people could see the flaw of the system, we can change and create a safer society.