Memorial for a Virtual Friendship (2018)
This installation is a memorial for a friendship which took place exclusively in a virtual world. The sole mode of communication between the two people involved was a text conversation. Without meeting in the physical reality, nor sharing voices, a deep emotional connection was formed through a single mode of communication, text. Alas, not too long after the relationship began, the connection stopped when one of the users decided to delete their account. The only remains left of the wonderful friendship were fading memories and an eternal conversation log automatically recorded by the system. This log accurately encapsulated the data of the entire conversation along with some systematic details relating to the platform itself.
The installation contains long paper scrolls, thirty feet each, that have been printed with a laser cutter. Words were cut off the paper to form an extremely delicate manuscript, shaped by the remaining empty spaces. Each scroll is accompanied by a white backdrop to contrast the cut paper and provide visual depth. The content of the manuscript not only reveals parts of the conversation log but also acts to show its sheer volume. While viewers are able to read bits and pieces of the conversation, the display is designed to make it difficult for anyone to actually read the log in its entirety.
The memorial can be accompanied by a performative act which includes a service for the virtual friendship. Using a simple computer code, the conversation was analyzed to quantify and measure its content. The performative eulogy exposes some of the unique traits of virtual friendships and the way they are bound by and to their text conversation.
The memorial can be accompanied by a performative act which includes a service for the virtual friendship. Using a simple computer code, the conversation was analyzed to quantify and measure its content. The performative eulogy exposes some of the unique traits of virtual friendships and the way they are bound by and to their text conversation.
