Web Jacket
2015
Video, colour, sound
9 minutes
The Web Jacket is representative of a digitally enslaved body who has moved to the internet – a kind of ‘permanency’ in the virtual world, while still offline. It is inspired by a straitjacket. I relate to it as a schizophrenic personality that I inevitably experience daily within a virtual world. Like many people, I am anxious not to miss out on news, updates and fashions, and so feel the need to ‘permanently’ stay online through a cell phone, which qualifies me as a web addict! The video work is an indoor performance in which I present myself wearing a straitjacket made of computer keys, cables, belts and used clothes. The costume is comprised of three parts, including a long-sleeved shirt that ties my arms behind my back, a pair of shorts and a hat in the form of a helmet with cables hanging down as hair. There is also a pile of white computer keys on the floor, which I intend to step on while performing. Black sheets are used in the background and on the floor, to create an interesting contrast with the white computer keys. It is a nine-minute video performance in which I constantly jump, dance and shake the garment, screaming while trying to get out of it. These activities produce a sound reminiscent of Nick Cave’s costumes. The second part of the video is in slow motion, and is accompanied by ‘M’bula’, a composition by the well-known Congolese musician Lokua Kanza, which adds to the effect of the screaming.