Representing Pasts – Visioning Futures
Abstract
The screen functions like a self-sufficient marketplace full of stimulus that temporarily satisfies our every desire. It exists within the physical and digital realm, personal and public space, and entangles interpersonal relationships. Drawing from contemporary discussions around the attention economy from writers such as Yves Citton, Byung-Chul Han, and Shoshana Zuboff, this paper questions if the screen genuinely brings us together in a meaningful way, or if it functions as another apparatus for capitalist purposes. Popular social media platforms such as Tiktok, Instagram, Hinge, and OnlyFans allow us to connect with one another, near and far, to provide us with endless visually captivating materials that cater to our interests. Yet, these applications lure our attention into consumption and production, distracting us from true intimacy. We explore these applications as case-studies through art-based research to understand how we can regain control over our attention amongst information overload. Literature from Cultural and Communications Studies, Media Theory, and Psychology build our theoretical framework to examine the role of the screen within capitalistic power operations concerning intimacy and desire. Our research focuses on whether the screen can mediate our interactions and foster the human connection we deeply crave. As flat as a screen may be, can it also function as a site for togetherness, discourse, and resistance away from the capitalist agenda?
Lingxiang Wu is a Chinese queer visual artist currently based in Toronto, and he received his MFA degree in Interdisciplinary Master’s of Arts, Media, and Design at OCAD University in 2019. Wu explores contemporary image culture that is integrated seamlessly between urban and digital spaces through experimentation with photographic collage, video, animation, and installation. Wu’s work has been exhibited in CEPA Gallery in Buffalo, Art Mur in Montreal, and various galleries in Toronto, including Xpace, SAVAC, and Whippersnapper Gallery.
Kristi Poole-Adler is an interdisciplinary artist based in Toronto. Her practice investigates the semiotics of language through ideas of intimacy, relationships, and the human experience. Kristi holds a BFA with honors from the University of Alberta, specializing in Painting and Printmaking, and an MFA from OCAD from the Interdisciplinary Master’s in Art Media and Design program. Her work has been exhibited in group shows in Canada and internationally;
Erica Cristobal works at the crossroads of her background in art making, curation, and education to bring people together through art. Audience engagement grounds her practice because of the experiential potential for people to explore and learn something new. As an arts programmer based in Toronto, she focuses on building relationships with artists and communities to inspire meaningful programming opportunities across the city. Erica holds an MFA in Criticism and Curatorial Practice from OCAD University and a BFA in New Media Art from Ryerson University.