A selfie that celebrated a murder incident in the no man's land
2019
Isaac Chong Wai
Laser etching on glass, set of 91
Installation size: 655 (L) x 133.8 (H) x 38 (W) cm Glass block: 13.8 x 17.8 x 2 cm (each)
Courtesy of Blindspot Gallery
In A selfie that celebrated a murder incident in the no man’s land (2019), Chong takes this temporal manipulation to a dysfunctional halt. Citing a video leaked online about a brutal killing of anonymous men in the open sea, the artist screencaptured 91 consecutive still frames at the end of the video, when the perpetrators celebrated the incident by taking selfies with each other. These pixelated still images are laser-etched into separate glass blocks and displayed chronologically, like a row of memorials. Cast in a material reserved for awards, achievements and anniversaries, the blocks amplify the celebratory mood of the selfie-takers, which complicates the narrative of that they are mere cold-blooded killers devoid of contexts and feelings. From his own selfie as a victim to the selfies of others as attackers, the artist turns his gaze from himself to the assailants, pitting himself against the evasion of justice, the lawlessness of international waters, and the banality of taking a selfie.