A Vociferous Silence
“A Vociferous Silence” is a series of reactive masks that attempt to address the complexity of one’s self-concept and self-appraisal by presenting multiple aspects of inner voices. It was exhibited at the New Frontier exhibition at NYU Tisch School of the Arts in May 2019.
The Experience
Visitors are invited to put their faces into the masks and cover their ears. A voice is heard through bone conduction activated by physical touch. What the user hears creates the illusion of having a voice in their head. The narration reveals different aspects of the artist's self-image.
Three Masks, Three Aspects
There are three masks in this series. Each mask focuses on one of the following aspects: negativity, positivity, and uncertainty.
Negativity
(Material: Plaster)
Uncertainty
(Material: Mix of Plaster and Medal Powder)
Positivity
(Material: Medal Powder)
Experiencer's body gesture is forced to change when experiencing the installation. From negativity, uncertainty to positivity, their back gradually rises because of different heights of the masks.
Self-contained
For easier shipment and installation at different exhibitions, the reactive masks are all self-contained with the only requirement of plugging to a power source when installed.
What does this project mean to me?
As our filters for Reality, how we see ourselves influence everything we do or to say, everything we feel, or otherwise perceive. In a sense, one's perception of others is a reflection of oneself.
Thus, I see "A Vociferous Silence" as a VR piece as well but a different kind of virtual, where the experiencer is forced to become another person by wearing a new face and listen to a new self-image.
I have two goals for this project. First, I want to discover the unknown me, with whom I barely communicate but am always influenced by; the hidden character behind the face in the mirror that thinks, dreams, talks, feels and believes. Second, I hope this project can help people to realize that the notion of consent self-judgment, and there is no harsher judge than ourselves.
My Role
This is an individual project.