Chuan Tsai, An-Jung Huang: Peep
Artist(s):
Title:
- Peep
Exhibition:
Category:
Artist Statement:
“Peep” is inspired by reality dating shows and aims to explore how the internet age fuels and amplifies voyeuristic desires. With technological advancements, people can access information from around the world without leaving their homes. This convenience has invisibly nurtured the public’s voyeuristic tendencies. Reality shows have always been a popular genre for viewers, and with platforms like Netflix, their audience has significantly expanded. Dating reality shows attract viewers by exploiting their innate curiosity and using editing to create controversial scenes, leading to participants being subjected to online abuse.
Observing this phenomenon, we believe that the internet’s encouragement of voyeurism has sparked a widespread desire for public criticism, ultimately harming ourselves. Today, a single video or narrative can prompt online attacks on individuals without understanding the true context. This is influenced not only by inherent voyeuristic tendencies but also by the prevailing online culture. Hence, we created this piece to make viewers aware that if this continues unchecked, it will eventually backfire on them.
The entire piece comprises three parallel threads, represented by surveillance footage, window, and mirror, converging into a single conclusion. Surveillance footage depicts events recorded in private spaces, such as emotional and personal disputes. The window represents the various ethical and societal controversies occurring in public spaces. Lastly, the mirror symbolizes the dating reality show. After experiencing these three threads, viewers will discover they have been filmed by a hidden webcam, with the live feed displayed on the very devices they were watching. Through this experience, we hope to convey that contributing to the internet’s voyeuristic culture will ultimately affect oneself.
