Surrogate Bodies (2024)
Surrogate Bodies (2024)
Interactive Installation
Surrogate Bodies delves into the intricate relationship between identity, control, and ownership in an era of increasingly pervasive and complex algorithms. Focusing on the face as the link between our online and offline identities, the installation examines the role of biometrics and facial recognition technologies and their prevalence in our daily lives.
Through the use of cutting-edge AI technologies, viewers can assume control of Phelan’s virtual self, inviting critical reflection on the fragility of identity and the shifting nature of ownership in the digital realm, where our representations can be easily accessed, manipulated, or even commodified. This live reanimation process allows the viewer to become a "surrogate body," raising questions about existence beyond the biological form and the implications of having our virtual selves inhabited by others. This dynamic highlights power imbalances and ethical concerns inherent in making one's likeness publicly accessible in spaces where digital manipulation is not only common but progressively sophisticated.
Surrogate Bodies speculates how AI perceives the human form and ultimately aims to shed light on the democratisation of surveillance, prompting viewers to contemplate the growing complexities of online identity, as technology increasingly blurs the boundaries between physical and digital existence.
This work was commissioned by and exhibited at BETA Festival 2024.
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