Written by: Betty Tian
In the technological era, many new forms of digital media have appeared, such as projectors, VR and AR. Based on this, many interesting video arts have been created, and some of the artworks reveal how we are seen and not seen in the digital world.
Among all the artworks, Hito Steyerl’s masterpiece named How Not to Be Seen: A Fucking Didactic Educational .MOV File impressed me a lot. She created an educational movie in an absurd style, showing us that real freedom lies in the ability not to be seen in the world surrounded by various surveillance and digital recordings. Her tone is calm but ironic, makes us feel like she is giving a lecture, but actually teaches us how to escape from the gaze coming from real life and screens.
However, I am thinking that if Hito’s tutorial is about how not to be seen, maybe we should also learn how to be seen ideally first. Nowadays, being visible online in the digital world is not only about sharing experience, it is about how we shape our identities, how we connect and how we protect our private space. This means the ability of taking the initiative to emerge, to express and to be understood in the informational flood should be practiced and sharpened. So, I decided to apply her style as inspiration and create my own tutorial.
Chapter1 How to be seen in the digital world?
- Telling story instead of showcasing data.
People tend to remember dramatic stories but not a simple fact or data point. Because a vivid story can resonate with people. As we learn in class, people are constantly attracted by stories because it is emotional, personal and interesting. So maybe the next time you share a project that you recently finished, don’t just describe how excellent the project is, add some stories in it, such as the problem you solved or the challenge you overcame.
- Use visuals to express your perspective
Long sentences could be difficult for people to understand and leave impression. However, visuals can turn abstract ideas into something that people can immediately feel and remember. Photos, sketches, or even color choices can help you express your point of view. Besides, an ideal visual could reveal our emotions too.
- Build your own tone of voice
Voice is our identity in the digital world, and developing a specific tone could help us become more visible. It can be calm, humorous, even ironic, as long as it reflects your real personality. Applying it consistently, then, people will recognize you easily.
- Engage in other’s content, Enlarge your connection
Take the initiative to comment on other people’s posts, and offer them meaningful feedback would help you grow genuine interaction and therefore enhance your visibility in the digital world.
Chapter2 How not to be seen in the digital world? (As additional notes to Hito’s approach.)
- Delay sharing
When you delay sharing, you give meaning more time to settle. Some moments and opinions are strong when things just happened, but after some time, you may have a new understanding of them. Maybe the photo will give you a different feeling tomorrow, maybe some moment is just for you, not the whole world.
- Mislead algorithm’s impression toward us by searching absurd concepts
Digital information especially your searching record helps platform to predict you. To stay invisible, we could break the pattern and confuse the algorithm. By doing so, we may regain some unpredictability, which could be regarded as a tiny act of freedom.
All the points I listed could be the outline of a new video art, and it could be a response to Hito’s work. How funny would that be!
Reference:
Hito Steyerl, How Not to be Seen: A Fucking Didactic Educational .MOV File, (2013).