On the Phone
Artist Statement
I am interested in the notion of identification, assimilation and also the questions of existence. My research starts with the transformation of images and sounds. I investigate the subtle relationship between individuals and the surrounding circumstances. Last but not least, I would like to examine our responses under the uncertainty and insecurity in our post-modern era.
The investigation of identification is not an unfamiliar topic since a long time ago. We examine our habits and inspect our own selves because we got an endless desire for searching the notion of existence. These desires indeed arouse numerous questions in our lives.
Undoubtedly, the quest of identification is not only an examination of one’s glory or dishonour; this is also the hint of the general cognition. And this is also a criticism of contemporary society. The pursuit of identification is a pathway to the assimilation of the self. It is the identity as well as the culture. Hence the identity of the society is based on the ideology of assimilation. Indeed this effort arouses the criticism of our society, we can never escape it, and we have to confront it. By the way, many artists readjust and transcend the supposed cognition into their unique ideas. This is no longer merely a reflection of his/her own self, it is not merely an expression as well. On the contrary, this is an investigation of the identification of society. The criticism of the notion of existence.
The elements of this video are based on a somehow necessary in our contemporary lives: talking with the mobile phone. This simple and straightforward way of communication is, no doubt a developed or even overwhelmed culture pattern. We take for grant that it is a part of our lives; we neglect its value of existence. According to this, does it mean that it cannot bring us any impact anymore? Indeed, the denotation of communication is not only a kind of message exchange. Its signification is based on the way of how we use it and translate it. It can be unique and symbolic, or with an incomparable context. In this video, I would like to transcend this physical gesture into a non-physical ideology through the investigation of communication.
Wai Kit Lam
Hong Kong
2.2005