Abstract
EYES
My eyes have seen you – have you seen my eyes?
The eyes of trees are born when a tree grows a new branch. When a tree is cut down and building material is sawn from it, the eyes become visible to us. They belong to dead, destroyed trees that will get a (kind of) new life in people’s constructions. These eyes looked to me as if they were accusing me of something - maybe of destroying biodiversity?
But I also started to think about the other gazes that we encounter during our lifetime. There are eyes that see us everywhere, and some of them are invisible to us. It matters if the gazes are caring or critical, supportive or spying.
My childhood Sunday School hymn said, "Don't look anywhere, little child, for Father Heaven sees a child's heart." I was haunted by the thought that someone would follow my actions all the time, even if the All-Seeing One loved me. I could not see if the gaze was approving or accusing.
I recalled my Dad´s reproachful gaze when, as a chubby pre-adolescent, I feasted on sandwiches while reading books. As an adolescent, I developed anorexia.
As a teacher at school, I represented a constantly evaluating gaze at the students' activities and development. I practiced behaviour control and the associated exercise of power.
Citizens can also monitor each other's actions: in East Germany, even one's own family members could not be trusted.
Nowadays in China, for example, people are followed by technological eyes, surveillance cameras, which are almost everywhere. People are scored based on their activities.
Some nations in the world compete for the superiority of their systems. They spy on some other nations who are considered a threat.
The harmonization of thinking described in George Orwell's book “1984” may become a reality when our actions are followed by the "invisible eyes" of the Internet. The social media giants' algorithms feed us content that matches our previous search history.
People also voluntarily acquire technology for their homes that accompanies them. In a way, various assistants who respond to sound or movement also kind of "peek into" our private homes. Do we know where all the data is stored and how it is used?
Take a close look at the eyes that surround you.
My eyes have seen you – have you seen my eyes?
The eyes of trees are born when a tree grows a new branch. When a tree is cut down and building material is sawn from it, the eyes become visible to us. They belong to dead, destroyed trees that will get a (kind of) new life in people’s constructions. These eyes looked to me as if they were accusing me of something - maybe of destroying biodiversity?
But I also started to think about the other gazes that we encounter during our lifetime. There are eyes that see us everywhere, and some of them are invisible to us. It matters if the gazes are caring or critical, supportive or spying.
My childhood Sunday School hymn said, "Don't look anywhere, little child, for Father Heaven sees a child's heart." I was haunted by the thought that someone would follow my actions all the time, even if the All-Seeing One loved me. I could not see if the gaze was approving or accusing.
I recalled my Dad´s reproachful gaze when, as a chubby pre-adolescent, I feasted on sandwiches while reading books. As an adolescent, I developed anorexia.
As a teacher at school, I represented a constantly evaluating gaze at the students' activities and development. I practiced behaviour control and the associated exercise of power.
Citizens can also monitor each other's actions: in East Germany, even one's own family members could not be trusted.
Nowadays in China, for example, people are followed by technological eyes, surveillance cameras, which are almost everywhere. People are scored based on their activities.
Some nations in the world compete for the superiority of their systems. They spy on some other nations who are considered a threat.
The harmonization of thinking described in George Orwell's book “1984” may become a reality when our actions are followed by the "invisible eyes" of the Internet. The social media giants' algorithms feed us content that matches our previous search history.
People also voluntarily acquire technology for their homes that accompanies them. In a way, various assistants who respond to sound or movement also kind of "peek into" our private homes. Do we know where all the data is stored and how it is used?
Take a close look at the eyes that surround you.
Translated title of the contribution | EYES: My eyes have seen you – have you seen my eyes? |
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Original language | Spanish |
Place of Publication | Santiago de Cuba |
Publisher | Museo Ambiente Histórico Cubano, Casa de Velázquez |
Publication status | Published - 6 Nov 2023 |
MoEC publication type | F1 Published independent work of art |
Event | OJOS: Mis ojos te han visto, ¿has visto tú mis ojos? - Galeria el Aljibe, Museo Ambiente Histórico Cubano, Santiago de Cuba, Cuba Duration: 6 Nov 2023 → 15 Nov 2023 https://www.facebook.com/photo/?fbid=353970830474235&set=a.175150711689582&locale=bg_BG |
Keywords
- photography
- tree eye
- gaze
Field of science
- Visual arts and design
- Social and Culture Antropology
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Radio interview about my two exhibitions in Santiago de Cuba
06.11.2023
1 item of Media coverage
Media contents: Art