Ein Versuch, die Webcam auszutricksen oder virtuelles Sehen /
An attempt to outsmart the webcam or virtual seeing

In 2009, whilst living in Paris, I created the work An attempt to outsmart the webcam or virtual seeing, which questions the idea of the ‘virtual gaze’. It is an attempt to explore video telephoning on the internet and examines our need for this facility - a very apt topic at this particular time. Despite the impressive illusion of proximity that is created, it is not actually possible to look the other person in the eyes. We either tend to look at the image of them on the screen or look directly into the webcam. This can cause frustration as we never feel we are really being looked at.

Following on from these thoughts, my videos show two people attempting to look each other in the eyes during a video call. An experiment that is destined to fail. The two pairs of eyes seek each other out, searching constantly, either looking at each other on the screen or through the webcam illustrating my point exactly.

2 Video-projections (DVDs), 2 min 06 sec each, 2009


https://evamariaraab.com/files/gimgs/th-39_web_screenshots.jpg
screenshots
https://evamariaraab.com/files/gimgs/th-39_web_view_ensba_paris.jpg
exhibition view, Galerie Gauche, ENSBA Paris, 2009
https://evamariaraab.com/files/gimgs/th-39_web_view_fotoforum_braunau.jpg
exhibition view Fotoforum Braunau, 2015