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A Participation Video Performance for the keywords : Isolation, Comedy, and Connection.

Overview
Overview
Participatory video performance, 10m
A staged social situation exploring isolation, comedy, belonging, and confusion among multilingual students in New York.
Participatory video performance, 10m
A staged social situation exploring isolation, comedy, belonging, and confusion among multilingual students in New York.
Concept
Concept
Fluent communication does not guarantee belonging.
Humor, timing, and cultural references often define who feels included in a moment.
This work stages that gap through a shared viewing experience.
Fluent communication does not guarantee belonging.
Humor, timing, and cultural references often define who feels included in a moment.
This work stages that gap through a shared viewing experience.
Structure
Structure


Invitation
Invitation
Participants received retro sitcom-style invitation cards containing:
short personal backstories
language constraints (randomly selected)
These shaped how they introduced themselves.
Participants received retro sitcom-style invitation cards containing:
short personal backstories
language constraints (randomly selected)
These shaped how they introduced themselves.


Ice-breaking
Ice-breaking
Participants interacted using only the languages permitted on their cards.
Conversations began slightly misaligned.
Participants interacted using only the languages permitted on their cards.
Conversations began slightly misaligned.


Screening
Screening
A 5m 50s video inspired by 1990s American sitcom pacing and humor.
Reactions varied across the room depending on cultural familiarity and language recognition.
During clips tied to specific languages, only students who understood that language laughed immediately, while others stayed quiet.
The room repeatedly split and reconnected through humor.
A 5m 50s video inspired by 1990s American sitcom pacing and humor.
Reactions varied across the room depending on cultural familiarity and language recognition.
During clips tied to specific languages, only students who understood that language laughed immediately, while others stayed quiet.
The room repeatedly split and reconnected through humor.


Closing
Closing
Took a Polaroid group photo to mark the end of the session.
a temporary community formed despite incomplete communication.
Took a Polaroid group photo to mark the end of the session.
a temporary community formed despite incomplete communication.
Visual Components
Visual Components



retro invitation cards
ice-breaking session
screening environment
audience reactions
Polaroid photo
retro invitation cards
ice-breaking session
screening environment
audience reactions
Polaroid photo
Making Process
Making Process









