Kissing Toads Installation

This project began as a response to the complexities of defining the risks of disappointment associated with online dating for some women searching for love and a committed relationship. Its conceptual aims were to visually explore how desire is modified and expressed in mediated texts sent via online dating applications and to question the source of romantic ideals. With this body of work, I aimed to create an installation that deviates from the fast-paced world of online dating to a slower, more reflective space to consider the consequences of desire. I incorporated the lived experiences of the women who participated in this research by using parts of the recorded interviews (audio) in the installation. Furthermore, my aim was to create a contemplative environment where one is not immediately involved in online dating—but instead reflecting on it. It is important to reflect on everyday behaviour especially about desire and how it motivates those that participate in online dating. The installation provides a reflective environment that the body negotiates. In this way, it mirrors the online dating terrain that engages the body. The objectives of this work were to create a contemplative environment to consider the potential consequences of desire experienced in online dating. In doing this, it demonstrates the importance desire has on one’s emotional state and the way these effects act together to produce change within the subject. Using language as a core material ensures accessible communication in articulating desire that is more relevant to the contemporary context of online dating communities. In addition to this, I integrated moving images and sound within the installation space to engage the audience so as to provide an interactive experience (where the women participants’ voices spoke for themselves). The cinematic element, discussed below, was positioned within the installation to question the origins of our romantic ideals and further ask questions as to whether these are outmoded. Furthermore, incorporating projections in the installation served to question the source of preconceived ideals that may consciously or unconsciously underpin any newly forged notion of romance.

Installation:Interactive on Wood

Original:One-of-a-kind Artwork

Size:196.5 W x 196.5 H x 196.5 D in

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