04 in/sight

in/sight is an installation that questions how we surveil and why we monitor ourselves. People are constantly aware of how they are perceived, extending beyond impressions in person to curated social media profiles, resumes, and how others describe them. The desire to control how others think of us fills our brains with ourselves, becoming almost narcissistic. We begin to self-surveil, focusing critical attention on how we present ourselves to the outside world. This feeling has only heightened in the age of the internet and smartphones by always having to be on, and presenting ourselves in response to that.

To materialize this concept, in/sight mimics a low-fidelity basement surveillance room with multiple screens and cameras. However, rather than other people, the cameras are pointed back at the watcher, resembling a distorted vanity table. The blinking eye on the center monitor combines the safety of watching surveillance and the eerie feeling of being watched. Several different angles confront the viewer, either intriguing them with their reflections, or making them uncomfortable.  Whether you, as the watcher, choose to enjoy the reflections and take a mirror selfie or avoid the chair and being caught on camera, consider how much energy and awareness is put into the ways you self-surveil.

Originally displayed at SOMArts in San Francisco, California, May 2023.