Alyssa Freitas

Installation and video

Living on Lite focuses on tropes of the wellness and technology industry to explore both a harmony and dissonance within the convergence of identity, wellness, and consumer technology. The piece is both a video installation that functions as a display room and a custom software of the same name. The application is used to curate digital memorabilia such as photos, and text to present an introspective media experience as opposed to a social media experience. As a whole, all elements of the project use marketing tropes of the beauty and wellness industry to illustrate an alluring false sense of trust in the product. Each individual work is built to function under a self-referential logic to communicate a lack of awareness to the world at large, a nod to the very notion of “New Age Spirituality” that fluctuates between cultural appropriation, appreciation, and evolution. The melodic slow pace, warm lighting, and monochrome palette are used to sell the program's intent to create a digital space outside of the public eye, choice fatigue, and information overload. The project operates ambiguously, reliant on a lack of specific language such as vague mantras, I invite viewers to question the blurred line between the helpful and hurtful role app development plays on an individual basis.

Bottle with USB-C drive containing custom software

The project Living on Lite focuses on tropes of the wellness and technology industry to explore both a harmony and dissonance within the convergence of identity, wellness, and consumer technology. The piece is both a video installation that functions as a display room and a custom software of the same name. The application is used to curate digital memorabilia such as photos, and text to present an introspective media experience as opposed to a social media experience. As a whole, all elements of the project use marketing tropes of the beauty and wellness industry to illustrate an alluring false sense of trust in the product. Each individual work is built to function under a self-referential logic to communicate a lack of awareness to the world at large, a nod to the very notion of “New Age Spirituality” that fluctuates between cultural appropriation, appreciation, and evolution. The melodic slow pace, warm lighting, and monochrome palette are used to sell the program's intent to create a digital space outside of the public eye, choice fatigue, and information overload. The project operates ambiguously, reliant on a lack of specific language such as vague mantras, I invite viewers to question the blurred line between the helpful and hurtful role app development plays on an individual basis.

Cracked Phone Occult explores topics of technology, consumerism, and alternative methods of healing. The pieces employ a hypothetical methodology that assigns meaning to products with no more intrinsic value. I approach this topic through various collage formats, such as video, photography, installation. I collect materials based on shapes and colors found in indie-market campaigns as foundational material. The product itself, in this case, an iPhone, has no longer any useful merit. What is left are the extrinsic elements that are created through marketing and also the user’s attachment to that product after purchase.

“Open Tabs” is a series of three works consisting of two photographs mounted on HappyLights and one video playing on multiple devices. Inspired by stories of fatigue, the project explores the role of technology as supplementary to baseline needs of warmth and engagement. As a multitude of personas function on different applications sifted through various algorithms, both excitement and a sense of urgency encourage users to engage in a cyclical commodified nature.

Installed at Satellite Space in Portland, ME

Documentation by Joel Tsui

A series of five photographs

The Fleek Mystique is a series of discrete object made from altered and repurposed accessories. In the series I utilize a range of pop culture trends. The word Fleek, or being ‘on fleek’ is Internet slang that I defined as the act of being styled to perfection, especially in accordance with these popular trends.

In the works there are elements of synthetic beautification, celebration, and erosion. The figure is implied yet fragmented to visually provoke a feeling of contradiction. 

The Fleek Mystique is a series of discrete object made from altered and repurposed accessories. In the series I utilize a range of pop culture trends. The word Fleek, or being ‘on fleek’ is Internet slang that I defined as the act of being styled to perfection, especially in accordance with these popular trends.

In the works there are elements of synthetic beautification, celebration, and erosion. The figure is implied yet fragmented to visually provoke a feeling of contradiction. 

Outlet is a kinetic sculpture that is contains erosion, celebration, and wired extension. 

In the piece, two glass vessels sit atop of each other, which hold small sculptures, a slowly rotating turntable and a flashing vaporizer letting out small puffs of mist. 

Outlet
Insulation, two glass tanks, a turn table, a vaporizer, an extension cord and an Emoji PEZ dispenser
4'10" x 2' x 3'5"

Here/Now is an installation of a YouTube video series that focuses on how one can find comfort through synthetic materials and mediation.

The project contains topics such as anxieties brought on by social media and also a YouTube subculture called ASMR made in order to rebuke the negative effects of media. The practice works by “trigger” euphoric responses by simulating physically close interactions and relaxing landscape imagery. 

Video Installation

40cm x 72cm x 15cm

various apple products, a fish tank, one novelty blow up doll, and wet confetti

INCLUDED:

Postcard, MailChimp, Website: CLICK TO VIEW

Skin Grafting Street View is an invitation to a flesh sphere which was made and is accessible only with Google maps street view. The project based on the commodities of landmarks as well as the masses of people who view these places both on and offline. 

Installation

6.5ft x 11ft x 9ft

found pixels, detached likes, fake grass, grids, plastic structures, a chick and a selfie stick.

September 2015