Mysteries of Selfies
Joshua Kagimu’s project explores the ways in which a selfie can be used to create an alter ego and positions the selfie as a form of performance art.
“Unlike studio photography, selfies allow us to edit our location and our poses; they allow us to reform our identities in a snapshot moment. I’m intrigued by how people utilize this medium to present virtual and often fictional images of themselves.”
For the exhibition, Kagimu will create a video of people taking selfies. The sub-jects in his video will not be aware that they are being presented as performance artists. The viewer will see both the self the photographers wish to display, and the one they actually display. Kagimu makes use of this discrepancy to show the selfie as an expression of an alter ego, rather than a true expression of the self.
Kagimu’s proposal also looks at the meaning of performance art to the viewer. He questions whether the people behind the selfies see themselves as performative objects, or whether performance art is determined by its viewers. Drawing on his past experiences as a visual artist, Kagimu will use sound, lighting, and a variety of locations to create a dynamic narrative in his video art.
Joshua Kagimu is a visual artist who experiments with painting, performance, video, and installation. He is based in Kampala, Uganda.
Photo: Nduta Karuiki
