Samuel Chow Plays God
August 21, 2008
Although Chow has been experimenting with new media for a while, I’m Feeling Lucky is Chow’s first public foyer using video since 2003. His much acclaimed first film, Banana Boy, won the 2003 Reel Asian International Film Festival Emerging Artist Award, was adapted as a CBC Radio Play in 2005, and was the only 21st Century film to be selected as part of a special program mounted by MoMA.
“[Banana Boy] was about my personal migration from Hong Kong to the GTA area, and my coming out story…This work is sort of a continuation of that. All those issues are still there, but I take on the virtual aspect of it—a different dimension of all these issues.”
Chow became interested in virtual existence after moving from Toronto to the States for school. Moving between various cities, out of necessity Chow saw his life becoming more virtual.
Although more efficient, Chow couldn’t help but feel something was wrong with living virtually. He soon realized how limiting and stifling searching on the internet could be. It’s these themes of free will, destiny and freedom that he’s exploring in his new work.
“Our results are knowledge paths, and they’re based on whatever algorithm is laid out. It is an illusion of freedom. For my audience too, because I am in some ways playing God. I created the paths already, and they’re just living in there.”
Take whatever random path network you can to check out I’m Feeling Lucky at Toronto’s Craig Scott Gallery from Wed September 3-27.
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