User:Thy/ Session 2

Fileona interviews Thy

Why are you(Thy) making it? Thy is currently working on a moving-image and sound-based project. She is currently living in Rotterdam, a place different from her home city of Ho Chi Minh, and this allows her to engage with new ways of seeing. Building on this frame of mind, Thy is documenting Rotterdam’s environment. She delves into the surrounding architecture of the city without considering its structure or shape. Instead, Thy focusses on the routines etched into the environment. She links these routines with the isolation and alienation of humans from their surroundings due to constant information stimulations. Yet at the same time, the environment of the city is built for the human to be alive and lively, “a playground” according to Thy. Capturing these surroundings through close up and sound recordings, Thy seeks to emphasise how the city and its integrated structures (electronic billboards, metro trains, elevators, etc) are the setting for surreal and alienateduman routines (taking the metro, shopping, going to work, etc). She chose the close-up as a medium to “look closer.” The final result is to be a video and sound installation. She intends to engage her audience into guessing where they are, perhaps critically renewing their engagement with their surroundings.

Does this relate to other things Thy has done? Thy’s previous work is associated with private and intimate subjects, like her mother and grandmother. Yet she used the close-up as a framework seeing and documenting these subjects. As such, this project involves a similar methodology of working and seeing. Looking closer, seeing things closely, and re-seeing things closely, still remain important to Thy.

How is it different from other things Thy has done? Previously, Thy was more interested in the personal self. She was interested in her personal history, her past and her personal perspective on humans. Now, the project is more about her perspective on the environment and surroundings. As such her subject matter has shifted from the living to the non-living

What significant choices has Thy made recently? Recently, Thy has been expanding her medium beyond still photography. She is looking into doing more multi-disciplinary work like moving images and sound. As with this current project, she feels that she can explore different mediums to say and show her perspective more clearly.

Version 2:

I am currently working on a moving-image and sound-based project.

After 2 years working in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam, my relocation to Rotterdam recently allows me to have different life routines and to engage with new ways of seeing. Building on this frame of mind, I am documenting Rotterdam’s environment. I delve into the surrounding architecture of the city with my subjective way of seeing. I also focus on the routines etched into the environment. I link these machinery routines with the isolation and alienation of humans from their surroundings due to constant information stimulations.

In my opinion, the city should be built as a ‘playground’ for everyone, the living environment in which people plays to feel happy, to be physically healthy, to build social skills and to feel alive.

Therefore, by capturing these surroundings through moving-images and sound recordings, I seek to emphasise how the city and its integrated structures (electronic billboards, metro trains, elevators, etc) are the setting for surreal and alienated human routines (taking the metro, shopping, going to work, etc). I am experimenting with close-ups shots and manual focus process as a medium to “look closer and longer”. The final result is to be a video and sound installation as my intention is to engage the audience with their looking and hearing senses, perhaps critically renewing their engagement with their surroundings.

Previously, I was more interested in the personal self. Hence, my previous work (Body Landscape series I & II) is associated with private and intimate subjects: my mother and grandmother. I was interested in my body shape, how I inherited it from my mom and grandmom; And how media and social norms affect their bodies perceptions. Yet I used the close-up as a framework for seeing and documenting the naked bodies. As such, my current self-direct project involves a similar methodology of working and seeing: Looking closer, seeing things closely, and re-seeing things closely, still remain important to me. Besides, the current project is more about my perspective on the environment and surroundings. As such my subject matter has shifted from the living to the non-living

I have been expanding my medium beyond still photography. I am looking into doing more multi-disciplinary work like moving images and sound. As with this current project, I feel that I can explore different mediums to say and show my perspective more clearly.

Notes from Steve

Want to move into the moving image; to write scripts and write about my work for other people to understand; I need to be able to describe what I am doing. I would like to be able to summarise a dense text and talk about it in my own language. I use a lot of terms and sometimes assume they understand; I want to break things down and make them easier; I always ask why to everything I do and try to answer that and be very conscious of every choice; Reading: Flusser and Guy Debord.

Two questions:

What ambitions do you have for writing this year? How would you go about making a ‘close reading’ of your own work?