Peekaboo is a three-channel video installation, portraying a family of two parents and their adolescent son, engaged in a contemporary reinterpretation of the traditional peekaboo game, facilitated by a generative AI model. Mimicking the classic game’s rhythm, the family members alternately conceal and reveal their faces with their hands. Each revelation, however, is marked by a transformative visual experience, where their appearances are altered by the AI algorithm according to specific language prompts which describe various identity attributes. As they morph together, their multiple appearances challenge and redefine the conventional constructs of familiar bonding and identity paradigms.
The core objective of this project is to critically examine and stimulate discourse surrounding language mediated identity politics, particularly focusing on the intricacies of interpersonal connections through the prism of identity constructs. This is achieved by exploring the fluidity of identity beyond the confines of traditional frameworks, using an advanced text-to-video AI platform. The video installation dynamically displays a spectrum of identity representations, seamlessly transitioning among diverse personas such as a child, a joker, a Buddha figure, a police officer, a drag queen, and more. This portrayal not only traverses various identity dimensions – encompassing age, gender, race, nationality, ethnicity, emotional states, professions, and iconic figures from cinema and fantasy – but also underscores the latent systemic biases embedded within AI algorithms, showing how specific words correspond to particular identity attributes.
While the artwork examines the contentious themes of identity tourism and cultural appropriation, it also invites viewers into a nuanced discussion regarding the potential for change and fluidity of identity. With that, the artwork aims to challenge the often rigid and permanent notions typically ascribed to identity. The transformative process depicted in this video installation manifested as a form of resistance to the static nature of conventional identity perceptions. The piece encourages viewers to transcend beyond superficial judgments based on appearance, inviting them to appreciate the multifaceted nature of human identity. The figures in the installation become entangled with the artificial intelligence, the agency that emerges within this interaction allows for a multitude of identities to coexist simultaneously. The aim is to invite a deeper reflection on the evolving nature of identity in the contemporary digital era, highlighting the potential for a more inclusive and dynamic understanding of the self and the other.
Credits:
The piece was made with Kaiber.ai
I wish to thank Noam and Ofer Meshi for their participation in this project. May the journey of our evolving identities continues to be a beautiful and fascinating one.
To learn more about my artwork:
www.AvitalMeshi.com or @avitalix