like me (2016) from Virginia Mastrogiannaki on Vimeo.
The idea of this performance is based on selfie pics. The act of self-photography is certainly not new. However, what distinguishes selfies from the old and traditional photographic self-portraiture, is the fact that a selfie is posted and shared almost simultaneously, being viewed right away in online social (and usually public) media. In what we might call "visual culture," the selfie quickly and clearly indicates the emotional state (overwhelmingly positive, charming, pleasant, etc.), as well as the location and the social activity of the person photographed. In the performance like me the act of photographing oneself becomes a perpetual video capture. I seek to find the most flattering picture of me, maintaining it unchanged. From beginning to end, I am trying to to remain stable both in my position in the frame, as well as to my idealized image. Due to the long duration, such a practice is impossible; as time goes by, my ideal selfie, the image on Self, is altered and deformed unintentionally.
-duration: 4 hours