looking for a random stranger /// video


A series of random encounters between random strangers and random emotions on ChatRoulette.Com. This website launched in December 2009 already has more than 4 000 000 users daily (same as GMail!) and works in the way that everyone who logs in can have a live video chat with any random person in the world, one on one. The combination of anonymity and privacy is quite stunning, and the way people interact "nexting" each other constantly in search for some sort of random intensity is very revealing.

I performed and recorded stereotypical activities found in Chatroulette's webcam chats. These short videos were then looped and streamed live to the people in "random" chats on ChatRoulette's website. Their reaction varied from "nexting" me after a second to engaging into a full-on interaction with my virtual "avatar". Apart from genuine excitement of seeing someone else's face while they are reacting to your work, it was very interesting to explore the relationship between the virtual (pre-recorded loop) and the real (live "random stranger" on the other end), between the web audience and performer, between the easily predictable and unexpectable.

A video installation on 4 screens.

13 February 2010


watch an excerpt online:



[click here to watch]


A fragment from an online chat during one of the sessions shown above:

> Looking for a random stranger...
> Connected, feel free to talk now
You: you like it?
You: yes do the same
You: come on
You: try...
You: it feels good yes!
You: i can feel it too!
Stranger: magic hands ?
You: yes
You: exactly
You: you?
Stranger: yes, too
You: i can see!
You: that's nice
You: ah
You: nice dog!
You: she also has magic paws no?
Stranger: yes
You: great
Stranger: fake video, haa?
You: well its' me
You: just a loop
You: emotional wholesale
You: i have several more
Stranger: so, what are you selling?
You: it's not about money
You: empathy :)
Stranger: ok
You: see ya
Stranger: see ya
> Your partner disconnected. Reconnecting...
> Connected, feel free to talk now
  

Some more ideas: