相視一場 Looking at Between
2023 / dual-channel video · interactive video · 3D scan · sensor
「當我穿梭在家鄉的街道時，總是會被周遭的居民盯著，直到我離開他們的視線。」
當今，隨著網路、數位、AI已經進入我們的生活，真實與虛擬的界線越發模糊。人與人的交流在虛擬世界中更加快速且頻繁，在真實世界卻是更加疏離。在名詞解析中，「虛擬」一詞的意思是：「憑空設想的、憑空捏造的」。人與人之間在虛擬媒介的交流下蘊藏著真實情感。在真實世界中，兩人眼神交會的當下，對他人的想像、臆測，伴隨著陌生與疏離。而這疏離之間是否也就成為了虛擬？
不知從何時開始，每次返鄉便會觀察地方上人、事、物的變化、行為與生活樣貌。每當我走在街道時，總是能發覺到迎面而來的視線。或許是無意或好奇，有人覺得我是北部來的旅客，有人覺得我是新聞記者。平凡不過的對話卻在無形中加深了我和家鄉的陌生。這種似乎不是在地人，也稱不上異鄉人的模糊身份，就好比我在家鄉中被「去背」一般。在對方眼裡，我的背景是模糊的，但在我眼中，我卻是一片空白。而在這場對視中，我正在被掃瞄、選取、合成到陌生的環境，如同身處在虛擬環境中，體驗到虛擬的感覺是不冷不熱，是一種沒有溫度的空洞感。這也不禁讓我思考，現在的我，對於家鄉是否還是真實的存在？
「相視一場」透過3D掃描技術將真實存在的人物再現到虛擬環境中。在不同的場景角落進行一場掃瞄，以去背、模糊的手法描繪之間的情感，並試圖將此意象介入作品與觀者間的相視。當觀者進入作品，隨即感受到視線的掃瞄，壓迫感蔓延之餘，進行一場即時的「去背」，也是一場相視之間的虛擬。
“Whenever I stroll through the streets of my hometown, I always feel the gaze of the residents around me, lingering until I’m out of their sight.”
∞ In today’s world, with the integration of the internet, digital technologies, and AI into our lives, the line between reality and virtuality has become increasingly blurred. While human interactions in the virtual realm are swift and frequent, those in the real world seem to grow more distant. In the realm of noun interpretation, the term ‘virtual’ implies something ‘imaginary’ or ‘fabricated out of thin air’. Yet, beneath the surface of human interactions mediated by virtual mediums, genuine emotions lie dormant. In the real world, the moment two individuals lock eyes, there’s a cascade of imaginations and conjectures about the other, accompanied by a sense of unfamiliarity and detachment. Could this detachment then become a form of virtuality?
∞ I’m not sure when it began, but every time I return to my hometown, I find myself observing the changes in its people, events, and surroundings. As I walk the streets, I can always sense the incoming stares. Some might regard me as a tourist from the north, while others see me as a journalist. Mundane conversations subtly deepen the sense of unfamiliarity between me and my hometown. This blurred identity, neither a local nor a stranger, leaves me feeling as though I’ve been ‘image matting’ from my hometown. In the eyes of others, my background is fuzzy, but in mine, I’m a blank slate. In this exchange of gazes, I feel like I’m being scanned, selected, and composited into an unfamiliar environment, much like being in a virtual space where the experience feels neither warm nor cold, just an empty hollowness. It prompts me to ponder whether the current me still truly exists in my hometown.
∞ ‘Looking at Between’ utilizes 3D scanning technology to bring real-life individuals into a virtual environment. Scans are conducted in various settings, employing techniques such as image matting and blurring to depict the emotions between subjects. The aim is to integrate this imagery into the interaction between the artwork and the viewer, creating a sense of mutual gaze. As the viewer enters the piece, they immediately feel the scanning gaze, with a sense of oppression spreading. This leads to an instantaneous ‘image matting’, mirroring a virtual encounter between gazes.
