Marc Williams’s From Loved Ones condenses the endless scroll of contemporary media consumption into a single harrowing minute. The piece visualizes the unseen pathways we follow through digital space, unfolding in a rapid, maximalist style, reminiscent of fast-paced internet browsing.
Williams combines footage of his personal living space with screen captures of his own media activity, juxtaposing two familiar realities. The work challenges us to consider the sounds and images that we consume in daily life. The title relates to a phone call heard throughout the film. Williams talks to a man— presumably a loved one—while a wave of clips floods the screen. This conversation adds a layer of human connection and centers the artist as the subject in his own work.
From Loved Ones attempts to develop a visual language for an age saturated in imagery. Viewing the hyperdense work leaves us with a sense of media burnout. The final seconds present closing credits on the artist’s media consumption, with multiple screens layered simultaneously, as if to say, “Here is all the media that your brain takes in.” The experience of seeing it all laid out in one place is an overwhelming one.
Following Monday’s premiere, join the artist and Lino Kino in conversation on Wednesday, September 16.