Self

Self is an interactive sculpture that detects and reacts to the presence of viewers as they try to experience it. Guests approach the organism, whose organs are disco gears, drawn in by the evidence of the throbbing electronic dance music and glittering disco lights. Traces of the vibrant disco progressively disappear as the interest of the viewer grows, and they are ensnared and seduced by the piece. Self recalls the contemporary emotion of ‘FOMO’, or ‘fear of missing out’, while focusing on the identity of automated machines and the discourse around technological ‘singularity’.

After all is said and done, by the time the viewer enters the artwork, all of the hints of the club have evaporated, and they are left standing in a space that is devoid of any sensory stimulation. After the viewers have left, the room reverts to its previous condition – a vibrant disco – even though there is no longer anyone there to participate.

Production: Constantine KSA
Curators: Neville Wakefield and Gaida Almogren
Video and Photos: Domenico Catano, Pierre Cochin
Noor Riyadh Light Festival, Riyadh, 2022/23