Timekeeper by April Leung
Commissioned by Derrick Chua
Inspired by the confession…
Artist Statement
Surveillance and the social frameworks that support them are recurring themes in my works. Though not specific to Covid-19, this increased screen time in front of my computer has been a constant reminder. I’m especially drawn to... networked technology including apps and cameras. I was one of those people who put tape over my laptop webcam for many years, having joked and feared that a government/corporation/hacker was watching me through my computer.
Today, I wonder about how algorithms govern our data; how these digital beings continue to watch and analyse us. I’m also struck by new models of care that are emerging during this crisis and how adaptation is not unique to humans. The very systems we’ve built and live within are changing with and for us.
I’d like to imagine that these acts of kindness, in the time of social distancing, are being seen: the healthcare workers, the grocery store clerks, and the little but meaningful gestures that define our days spent with loved ones. I’d like to think they are seen and that they can change our understanding of what hope looks like.
Timekeeper
by April Leung