Absent Witness explores power, perception, and control by forcing viewers into an active role. Two people put their heads into a box divided by a two-way mirror. They raise their hands and shift positions to gain control of the light and their reflection in the mirror.
This physical interaction mirrors the tense dynamics of the mantis shrimp’s mating dance. It also reflects the inward struggle between self-reflection and voyeurism, serving as a metaphor for the artist’s creative process. Spectators are no longer passive observers but become complicit in the cycles of power and submission, illustrating how these forces are not merely abstract concepts but lived experiences.
The installation subverts the notion that power can be intellectualized from a distance by requiring active participation. It demands that viewers physically and mentally grapple with the roles of light and dark, seen and unseen. In doing so, Absent Witness transforms the viewer’s experience of control and visibility into something embodied, highlighting how power, like creation itself—whether artistic, biological, or societal—is constantly negotiated and performed.
This is how art is made, and baby shrimp and the Roman Empire.
