Ben Christ

Being born into Generation Z, I am part of the last generation in the Western world to have grown up without a smartphone in our early childhood. In our teenage years, they slowly made their way into our everyday lives, giving me and my friends access to the unrestricted depths of the internet. These phones shaped our looks, passions, conversations, and friendships. We are a generation trained to look and be looked at. This co-dependency on screens has changed the way we interact with the world around us. Smartphones have become our constant companions, making it unimaginable to leave the house without them.

"On a Day Like Yesterday" is a collection of personal memories. It deals with growing up between two worlds: the digital worlds in our phones and the small German town I grew up in. These memories were translated into 3D renders to create a short film. "LOOK HOW FUN I AM (2018)“ is a stream of images from one of my Instagram accounts, showing pictures shared in the summer of 2018. It deals with how one presents oneself on social media. "In case you missed it" is a short 3D animation that deals with the violence of looking and being forced to look. It confronts the viewer with imagery they would usually not see, putting them in the shoes of a young person growing up on the internet.

"On a Day Like Yesterday" and "LOOK HOW FUN I AM (2018)" deconstruct and reflect on both lived and digital realities, putting them into a new context. "In case you missed it" forces the viewer to look, taking away their choice of what to see. By doing this, I hope to engage the viewer in a discussion about how to interact with these devices in the future. This body of work offers a glimpse into growing up with digital devices and is a manifesto for loosening their grip on our lives, reclaiming decision-making power.