The “Stop Motion Studies” are a series of experimental documentaries that chronicle my interaction with subway passengers in cities around the world. The aim of the project is to create an international character study based on the aspects of identity that emerge. SMS is one of the exhibitions at the Microwave International Media Art Festival 2004, held in Hong Kong from october 28 through November 11.

Artist’s Statement

It is said that 90% of human communication is non-verbal. In these photographs, the body language of the subjects becomes the basic syntax for a series of Web-based animations exploring movement, gesture, and algorithmic montage. Many sequences document a person’s reaction to being photographed by a stranger. Some smile, others snarl, still others perform. The camera, the net, and I are all characters in this setting. The project is not about the transparency of these actors, but about exploring them. This means probing socio-cultural boundaries within our emerging digital environment.