ARTWORK
What I'm looking for (2005) — Audio / video assemblage
Description
What I'm Looking For is a video-audio assemblage sculpture, which plays back voicemails of men describing themselves and what they are looking for in a long-term relationship. The voicemails were obtained through the posting of fictitious women-for-men personal ads and without the consent of those recorded. Treading into questionable ethical territory, the piece questions notions of private and public space in an age of increased global communication.
The recordings reveal vulnerability and show different types of men with a depth of emotions, all lonely looking for life partners in the hopes of alleviating feelings of disconnection. These raw emotions could not be obtained through any sort of active participation.
Video plays back on a black-and-white monitor embedded in what looks like a dystopic surveillance device. The 30-minute loop shows the artist in his home space, waking up and getting ready for another day in a routine. This intimacy is not normally seen and the piece brings up questions of mediation and construction as the surveillance narrative is obviously staged.
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