Virtual Design Media Arts exhibit explores realities, changes during pandemic
“Fill in the Blank: I am ___” urges audiences to slow down amid the illusion of fast-paced normalcy.
Curated by the Design Media Arts student council, the student-run show premiered online Jan. 27 with the help of the department’s faculty and staff. Inspired by moments of self-reflection throughout the COVID-19 pandemic, its theme was chosen by the show’s curatorial team of DMA undergraduates, who then gathered student submissions throughout fall quarter. But with the sudden shift to online learning, the curators and participants had to make several adjustments to premiere at the set date, including fourth-year DMA student Ainsleigh Douglas, who said this prompted her to make the last-minute decision to turn her art into a performance piece.
“(My piece) is an automaton to replicate how humans interact with a device,” Douglas said. “I wanted to learn how we function and why we flip switches that way, but also learn about the design of the switches themselves: Why do we have buttons that work the way they do? Why are we moving away from this analog realm of flipping a switch or clicking a button (to using) touchscreens? What are we losing in that transformation?”
For second-year DMA student Amie Xiu, the adjustment to the show’s virtual exhibition did not involve much stress, but she was still disappointed by having to display her work virtually since she was looking forward to seeing its final outcome . She said the pages of her artwork — a book — was first rendered digitally via Adobe Illustrator, and she wanted to work on its physical texture along with various elements.
In the newly changed format, some of the pieces’ meanings are lost through the screen, Douglas said. She initially planned on installing a switch meant for the audience to flip, which she said prompts them to reflect on the purpose of various objects’ functionality. Despite the importance of physical interaction, she said the adjustments she made for the virtual exhibition still impart a similar narrative.
“This piece is not a direct reflection of myself, but it’s a reflection of how we all are processing the world around us through this digital space,” Douglas said. “If I were to fill in the blank, it would be: I am not a robot, I am not a machine. I am a human.”"— John Arceno, Jan. 31, 2022
This post is an excerpt. Read the full article on the Daily Bruin website.
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