looking-at-camera

CHEN I-Hsuen陳以軒

production year /

2018

duration /

18'38

Looking-at-camera is composed of a series of bizarrely fascinating images. The models in the images are often absorbed (mostly phubbing or using computer), and occasionally look at the audience behind the camera as if they were searching for some emotional connection. These bizarre images comes from the image database purchased on the Internet, downloaded by the artist with keywords “looking at camera” before composition.

These images from the database are usually meant for commercial advertisement purpose. Therefore, it is reasonable to picture these images with logos and captions to make a perfect testimonial ending for commercial. Yet, if we string these materials together (with advertising messages removed), they will become segments of videosculpture. Among these segments of never-ending loop, the models are in fact not browsing. As they are disengaged from the status of browsing and lift up their hands, they were like breaking the fourth wall, establishing a fantastic yet empty connection with the audience.

《Looking-at-camera》由一串非常詭異迷人的影像所構成。影像中模特兒們常沈浸在自己的狀態中（多半是滑手機平板或使用電腦），爾後望向鏡頭後螢幕前的觀眾，彷若在尋求一種情感上的連結。這些詭異的影像來自於網路購買的影像素材庫，藝術家錨定關鍵字「looking at camera」下載構組而成。

這些在素材庫中的影像，通常設計為商業廣告所用。因此得以想像這些畫面加上以商標設計與廣告台詞，即可成為一個完美的證言式廣告結尾。但若將這些（抽掉廣告訊息）的素材串連在一起，就會形成許多的錄像雕塑片段。在一段段的無限迴圈中，其實模特兒並沒有真的在瀏覽，當他們離開瀏覽狀態，抬起頭來的瞬間就如同打破了第四面牆，似與觀眾之間建立了一種既美好又空洞的連結。

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about the artist /

CHEN I-Hsuen陳以軒

I-Hsuen Chen is born and raised in Taiwan. After receiving an MFA in Photography from Pratt Institute in 2012, he is now lives and works in Taipei. He has an interdisciplinary practice that experiments with photography, publishing, video installation, and performance.

Chen’s work has been shown at photo festivals and biennials internationally, including New York Photo Festival (2012), Singapore International Photography Festival (2014), Taipei Biennial (2016), Lianzhou Foto Festival (2016), JIMEI ARLES International Photography Festival (2016), and Offline Browser—Taiwan International Video Art Exhibition (2018.) His work is also in the Permanent Collections of Museum of Fine Arts, Houston and Kadist Collection.

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