Animation / Performance

2023
I collaborated with Hocus Bogus Publishing, a publishing house based in Rotterdam, led by Dennis Muñoz Espadiña, along with the residents of Hamburger Community in Roodkapje, Rotterdam. Together, we organized a group exhibition titled 'Riso_Paper-Scissors.' Hocus Bogus Publishing commissioned the residents to create a stop-motion animation using the riso printing technique. However, I decided to take a different approach by using a scan and copy office machine. For the exhibition's opening, I placed the copy machine in the center of the exhibition space, inviting the audience to participate. Attendees were encouraged to come to me and have different parts of their bodies scanned and printed. Each person could choose one body part, and we would scan that body part 15 times, as one second of animation requires 15 frames. Participants could experiment by moving the body part or adjusting black-and-white contrasts and scales. I would then archive the printed body parts for later use. The purpose of this interactive performance was to engage the audience in a discussion about 'biometrics' and whether they had ever encountered this process. According to Wikipedia, "Biometrics are body measurements and calculations related to human characteristics. Biometric authentication is used in computer science for identification and access control, and it is also used to identify individuals under surveillance."

This performance served as a research exploration into the world of biometrics and the discomfort associated with repeated biometric procedures, as I had to undergo this process almost every year when applying for a visa. I aimed to share this experience with the audience. The outcome of this performance is a short animation that incorporates all of the collected biometric scans.