NOVELLE WA
ABSOLUTE NORMAL
12 Giclée Prints 30.5 x 45.7 cm (12 x 18 in.)
“Absolute Normal” is a visual reflection on the absurdity and repetition of our normal everyday lives, and the way in which our sense of self can become lost in the process. The photos depict daily life of a couple in a long term relationship, from a typical morning before work to the detached nighttime activities, highlighting the monotony and detachment that pervades their lives. The couple is portrayed as trapped in a repetitive cycle of daily routines, work, and the same old faces, resulting in an inevitable sense of emotional numbness. The feeling is almost as if they are watching themselves perform as actors in a play, enacting a script that has been predetermined for them.
Moreover, the series portrays a woman who, amidst a group's laughter and chatter, experiences anxiety and awkwardness, feeling completely out of place. The artwork highlights the inner struggle and anxiety experienced by introverts in a society dominated by extroverts, while also provoking thoughts on the authenticity of social relationships.
INSTALLATION
ABSOLUTE NORMAL (SHORT FILM)
The short film embodies the repetition and absurdity of everyday life, as well as the disappearance of the self in the process.
In the short film, a young man sits in an office performing a repetitive task. He first stamps a piece of plain white paper, then folds it, adds a paperclip to it, and finally places it inside a plastic bag held by an unknown person.
His face expresses the monotony of the process throughout. Three outdoor scenes are mingled with the office scene: the man exercising with a hula hoop on a bridge, lifting weights on the street, and eating cup-noodles on an escalator.
