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Persona Polishing Bench
Inspired by Pipilotti Rist's groundbreaking video installations, our project recreated her immersive environments, focusing on themes of identity, social interaction, and fantasy. Drawing from Rist's Caressing Dinner Circle, we explored the relationship between masks, parties, and hidden personas in social settings. Rist’s use of vivid colors and dynamic visuals formed the basis of our project, transforming everyday objects into reflections of identity and interaction.
We used vibrant colors, masks, and party elements to create a surreal atmosphere that blurred reality and fantasy. Masks, central to the piece, symbolized layers of identity—each revealing and concealing parts of the self. To enhance this, we used video projection and projection mapping, integrating the visuals with the physical space to craft an immersive experience, much like Rist’s approach to blending art with human emotion and perception.
The project involved detailed projection mapping made on the program HeavyM onto modified furniture, such as mirrors made opaque to capture visuals. Every element, from drawer handles to mirror cutouts, was mapped to align seamlessly with the moving projections, creating a cohesive visual narrative.
This exercise allowed us to delve into Rist's artistic techniques while critically examining how contemporary art interacts with technology and science. By turning everyday spaces into immersive environments, we explored how these mediums influence human experiences, blurring personal identity with social dynamics.
Our projection touched on themes of sustainability, identity, and media consumption, integrating ideas of brainwashing, fashion, and beauty standards. These concepts highlighted how societal pressures shape personal identity. Futurism and psychedelic visuals metaphorically examined humanity’s evolving relationship with technology, while symbolic imagery critiqued darker themes like human trafficking.
The projection footage was sourced from personal designs, stock videos, movies, and YouTube clips. A key inspiration was the Margiela 2024 Artisanal Collection film, which centered around a Paris robbery, influencing the exploration of fashion, identity, and social disruption within our broader narrative.
