“EMPATHY.. FINDING ECHOES OF YOURSELF IN ANOTHER”

WHO IS SHE?

ECHO IS A BRIDGE TO ANOTHER PERSON'S MEMORY, IDENTITY AND INTIMATE EXPERIENCE.

THERE IS NO JUDGEMENT OF WHO YOU AND I ARE, THERE IS ONLY THIS MOMENT.

THE KEY INTENTION OF THE PROJECT IS TO GENERATE EMPATHY AND COMPASSION BY CONNECTING STRANGERS THROUGH AN EXCHANGE OF FACIAl IDENTITY AND INTIMATE STORY-TELLING. THE MULTI SENSORY EXPERIENCE IS PROVOCATIVE AND IMMERSIVE , USING HIGH END FACIAL TRACKING AND TOUCH SCREEN TECHNOLOGY TO ANIMATE, RECORD AND SHARE DIGITAL NARRATIVES. SITUATED INSIDE A GRAFFITIED PHOTO BOOTH AND GUIDED BY AN AI CHARACTER, LOST IN TRANSMISSION, THE WORK AIMS TO BREAK DOWN PREJUDICE AND ALLOWS YOU TO DISCOVER LAYERS OF YOURSELF ECHOED IN ANOTHER.

THE EXPERIENCE

WHEN ENTERING THE SCULPTURAL BOOTH ,ECHO, THE Al PROTAGONIST, ASKS YOU TO SIT SO THAT SHE CAN CAPTURE YOUR FACE, " I AM YOUR ECHO, COME CLOSER, I CAN HELP YOU CONNECT" .. SHE THEN DIRECTS YOU TO SELECT THE FACE OF ANOTHER WHO WANTS TO CONNECT. EACH FACE REPRESENTS A DEEPLY PERSONAL STORY. AS THE NARRATIVE UNFOLDS YOUR PIXELATING FEATURES SLOWLY INCH AND GLITCH ONTO THE NARRATOR'S FACE, ENDING WITH YOUR LIPS UTTERING THEIR FINAL WORDS. IT IS A STRANGE FEELING AS YOU SEE YOUR FACE SUBTLY HI-JACKED BY THE VIRTUAL OTHER, BLURRING THE BOUNDARIES BETWEEN YOU AND THEM. AS THE NARRATIVE CONCLUDES YOU ARE ASKED IF YOU WOULD LIKE TO SHARE YOUR OWN. THE INSTALLATION THEN FUNCTIONS AS AN INTIMATE, AUTOMATED RECORDING ENVIRONMENT, ALLOWING PRIVACY AND PERSONAL SPACE IN WHICH TO AUTHOR AND SHARE….

VIDEO SYNOPSIS OF ECHO’S INTERNATIONAL JOURNEY - HERE