Tact consists of a large mirror and an inset circular screen displaying what looks like a moving pinkish blur. Once the viewer touches the screen, the image freezes and reveals the face of a woman pressed against the screen. As the viewer drags his/her finger, she/he also drags and distorts the face. Via the process of rubbing the screen and controlling the image, an uncomfortable relationship develops between the participant and this image of the other.
The word “tact” means the sense of touch but also means an intuitive, spontaneous and thoughtful way to behave in a human relationship. This art piece attempts to suggest the lack of tactfulness that often occurs in situations of virtual rather than physical presence. In the piece the viewer is trapped by the image response when he/she has touched it and is thus forced to adopt an uncomfortable role — even if it seemed playful at first.
By Canadian artist Jean Dubois.