Digital humanism is under construction. Can we ensure that technological development remains centered on human interests? I am investigating the continuities and the degrees between the physical and digital spaces. “Antipodes” is both an anthropological and artistic endeavor. Visually, the installation confronts two ways of representing the human being at the beginning of the 21st century in order to 1) consider the extent of the gap between a digital profile and a portrait head and 2) reconcile their dissimilarity or not.
A portrait head belongs to the history of memorial art, based on resemblance. It brings together a multitude of details to arrive at a singularity which makes a head resemble only itself. The representation of a head includes the face and the profile and represents physical space, of the here and now, inscribed in the linear time line.
The digital profile is a representation that refers to what we potentially are, in a probabilistic way. It results from algorithmic calculations developed from digital traces, a sort of duplicate of an individual’s digital behaviorism. By choosing the word “profile,” the word “face” is put aside, absent. Physical resemblance is not the subject of a digital profile. (Profile comes from forensic medicine for the identification of the missing subject. In this sense the profile presupposes the disappearance of the subject.) The function of a digital profile is to shorten the time of evaluating what suits us or not, the time of choice, the time of uncertainty.
A portrait head belongs to the history of memorial art, based on resemblance. It brings together a multitude of details to arrive at a singularity which makes a head resemble only itself. The representation of a head includes the face and the profile and represents physical space, of the here and now, inscribed in the linear time line.
The digital profile is a representation that refers to what we potentially are, in a probabilistic way. It results from algorithmic calculations developed from digital traces, a sort of duplicate of an individual’s digital behaviorism. By choosing the word “profile,” the word “face” is put aside, absent. Physical resemblance is not the subject of a digital profile. (Profile comes from forensic medicine for the identification of the missing subject. In this sense the profile presupposes the disappearance of the subject.) The function of a digital profile is to shorten the time of evaluating what suits us or not, the time of choice, the time of uncertainty.
People heretofore unknown to me were selected to be interviewed; there were eight individuals, each from a different decade between 10 and 90 years. My objective was to solicit answers concerning their digital and physical (non-digital) relationships. I first introduced myself to each interviewee by telephone, presented my research subject and asked permission to take photos in order to create 3-dimensional portraits.
ADAM, 17, practiced kung fu with my daughter and he was finishing his Baccalaureate program. We decided to meet on the grass of the public garden across from his high school.
ANAIS, 28, was a student at the Cervantes Institute, where I also took classes. My teacher introduced us. Anais was starting work as a communications liaison for a Bordeaux Museum. We met at a cafe in February 2022.
FREDERIC, 34, was at a nearby luncheon table at a restaurant in Montpellier. We had a brief exchange concerning addiction phenomena. He was then a professional trainer, studying to be a short-term therapy coach. We agreed to use Skype for the interview in March 2022.
DAMIEN, 41, had lived for several years in the village – an hour from Bordeaux – where I spend holidays. He formerly hosted a program on local radio but had become a baker in the village. The interview took place at my home in March 2022.
MUREIL, 56, the mother of a friend, was a C.P. teacher for 25 years in my town. She came to my house for the interview in April 2022 after school let out for the day.
JONATHAN, 62, was/is an astronomer at the astrophysics lab at the University of Bordeaux. A friend introduced us and we met in his office on campus in February 2022.
GERARD, 79, was also a student at the Cervantes Institute. He was retired from Nathan publishing. Since he was recovering from knee surgery, we met at the convalescent facility for the interview in April 2022.
NICOLE, 87, was retired after a career in tourism development for Paris. She divided her week between her Bordeaux apartment and a home in Cap Ferret. Friends introduced us. The interview took place in her Bordeaux apartment in May 2022.
1) History
– How were you introduced to digital communication?
– Has your use of digital changed over the years?
– Did you perceive quickly or gradually the digitalization of the world via the Internet?
Does digitalization go hand-in-hand with your physical world?
2) Use
– How did you use the Internet during the pandemic?
– How often were you in front of the screen, and for how long on average?
– How do you value screen time; what value does “immediacy” hold?
– How do you view the different spaces; is there continuity between them?
– Do you separate cell phone use from use of the computer?
– Do you consider yourself physically present within digital space?
3) Representation of the world and social space
– In your opinion, are human relationships the same or not, whether in digital space or in physical space?
– How do you view the ubiquity possible via the Internet, does it fulfill other aspirations?
– How does the Internet nomenclature contribute to thinking about the world differently? Does it reduce or increase reflection?
– Does being in front of a flat screen give the impression of being connected with a flat world? Does it make you forget the time and
space you inhabit?
– Is daydreaming compatible with the Internet?
