Touch Glass, Lewisham Arthouse

I’m Here, Soft & Haptic 2024 [2024]

Performance, Video, and Site-specific Mixed-media Installation (Vintage Frame, Two-way Mirror, Video Monitor, iPhone SE, Closed Circuit Installation)

Statement

'Building on his ongoing explorations into livestreaming as a medium for performance, with all its associated glitches and gaffes, Wirz stages a monitor screen behind a two-way mirror. This setup allows the livestream performer to be "present" within the gallery, even though they are calling in remotely. In-person visitors, unaware of this arrangement, are naturally inclined to check their appearance in the mirror, only to realise they are not alone in looking.

The convergence of physical and virtual spaces in performance art necessitates a critical examination of how technology mediates our interactions and perceptions. As individuals become increasingly accustomed to projecting curated versions of themselves through screens, the line between authentic self and constructed persona blurs.