FACEBOOK FREINDSHIP OR FACADE

IS FACEBOOK EVOLVING 
THE DEFINITION OF FRIENDSHIP?

An incredibly poignant exhibit is currently on display on the 4th floor of the Portland Museum of Art.   It is the brain child of artist Taja Alexia Hollander and it is titled: "Are you Really my friend?" The Facebook Portrait Project.
It is more than just a art exhibit I'd liken it more to a anthropological experiment.   It's one part photo essay,  one part installation- art exhibit to two parts sociology experiment - interactive discussion.  

  " Are you really my friend?"  when distilled down really questions the substance of friendship.
Is friendship Photographable? What is the life blood of a friendship? Oh to have 633 friends!
Is it possible to have 633 friends?  Do you Facebook?  How many friends do you have?
Whats your Facebook story? Do you check once a day, once a week, oh you don't Facebook or care,  oh that really doesn't matter because if you don't,  that becomes your Facebook story. 

One of Taja's FB Friends; June Fitzpatrick Photo byTAH

Hampshire College BA grad & Maine Resident Taja Alexia Hollander had 633 or 663 Facebook friends when she started this project ( she has a lot more now).  She started thinking about the forms of friendships she saw an opportunity to discover what the new meaning of the word friend is. Requesting her Facebook friends if they would meet with her and allow her to photograph them 143 responded and thus started the Are you really my friend, the Facebook Photo project. Taja a seasoned photographer she traveled around the country and shot images of her willing Facebook friends in the comfort of their living rooms, their kitchens or their offices.  The images captured by a camera that actually uses film,  imagine that, have a quality of stillness,  portray a diverse cross section of folks. For me some are a little haunting and I'd say even a tad sad, others the architecture is as captivating as the people. All in all the power of the images is that they visually share a cross section of a life that you don't see when cyberjumping on someones Facebook wall.

As mentioned this show is as much an installation art piece as it is photo expose' it's perhaps one of the most interactive gallery shows I've experienced.  Ms Hollander has provided an opportunity to comment and collaborate, to become a part of the exhibit. The communication options on the installation piece are varied from the modern with a touch friendly IPAD step right up access the web or Facebook and actually go to the "Are you really my friend Facebook"  page and leave a post.  There are other communication means you can go "old school" with a post it note and stick it up on the Facebook post it wall of fame,  or really old school with a 3" x 5" card and a pencil. I think the power of the show is it's desire to have you communicate your feelings & impressions. The show participation is evidence of a changing landscape in relationships. It is digital & written proof  that we are evolving everyday. Darwin would be proud of  Taja and her effort to expose an ever changing  world.  A world where an artist becomes the lens that focuses the light on real & virtual comrades who in turn force us inward to reflect on what friendship really is for us.

  My favorite part of the exhibit is the Post it note wall where you the viewer get to comment and participate.
Here are a few of my favorites:

Friendship is life without them who are we?
Good Idea real friends are cool too!
The Soul is missing on Facebook how impersonal!
Real friends are the ones you can call at midnight
My Favorite is with out a doubt;
besides cheese friendship is the most important thing in the world.

Why go see Taja Alexia Hollanders 

ARE YOU REALLY MY FRIEND?

 The Facebook project 

Get a Friend & Go because your good minds needs good art!  

FACEBOOK BY THE NUMBERS (as of Dec 2011) :
845 million the number of monthly active Friends/Users.

80 the percentage number of  monthly active Friends/Users outside of North America

70 the number of Friendly languages offered on Facebook

483 million the number of daily active Friend/Users on average

425 million the number of monthly active Friend/Users who used Facebook mobile products

The exhibit "Are you Really my friend " hangs through June 17th and is part of the CIRCA Series of exhibitions featuring the works of Maine artists. Thanks to PMA, The Maine Arts Commission, Donald Sussman & Portland creative thinkers the VIA group.  To find out more and see tons of images of the friends and the show go here.

 The Gallery Talk is made possible by the generosity of the 
WMPG Radio listening community.  This blog is the text version of the 
art rant heard every Thursday at 7am, 5 & 9:30pm on
WMPG college and community radio broadcasting
   from the University of Southern Maine

90.9 , 104.1 and streaming on the web at http://www.wmpg.org/  

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