Abstract

Face ID: A Surveil of Che-Wei Hsu is a lens based artistic investigation and experience into the nature of surveillance in modern society. Through performance, photography, and installation, my work explores the dynamics between being watched and watching, questioning how surveillance influences human behavior and identity. In my art practice, I think about the behavior that people would not do in front of other people or violate the social norm and perform in the public as a way to experience how surveillance influences how we act in the public, for example eating a sandwich on the ladder in front of the webcam. Inspired by the ancient penalty in China and Japan, which the government would tattoo on criminals’ bodies or faces, therefore these people would be isolated by the public. In one of my performances, I let people doodle on my face as the metaphor of how people surveil and isolate each other. Through performance, face painting, and absurd interactions with surveillance cameras, I reflect on the paradox of concealment and exposure. My practice ultimately serves as a critique of surveillance culture, highlighting its contradictions and ambiguities while inviting the audience to reconsider their role within these power structures.

Publication Date

2025

Document Type

Thesis

Student Type

Graduate

Degree Name

Photography and Related Media (MFA)

Department, Program, or Center

Photographic Arts and Sciences, School of

College

College of Art and Design

Advisor

Joshua JT Thorson

Advisor/Committee Member

Greg GH Hayes

Campus

RIT – Main Campus

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