Jane Cheng

ONLINE SHOPPING AS EXPERIENCE

My project research mainly explores the advantages of e-commerce. Specifically, I examine the impact of e-commerce as a source of beneficial social transformations. E-commerce can undoubtedly pave the road to a more comprehensive experience for the individual, namely by providing entertainment, education, escapism, and aesthetics. By being engaged in this process, customers are empowered via conferred benefits and informed decisions, allowing them to proceed with higher standards and become more discriminating consumers. However, in terms of the effects e-commerce has on the values of society, are the changes made to the bottom line entirely beneficial? Complications with issues such as veracity, authenticity, trust and unregulated behavior are all part of this picture, and the consequences are unclear at best at this point in time. The visual component of my project, then, is focused on this ambiguous relationship. The principle goal of the project is to explore how this phenomenon affects the individual psyche of the consumer; specifically, this will be achieved via an installation of a “real-time” online shopping experience. In brief, I hope to examine the idea of the online shopping environment as a void: the key response here is to consider the process of online shopping and to rethink the level of discernment needed for immersion within this environment.

SECTOR C: Art Practice and Technology
ADVISERS: Tricia Treacy (FNAR) | Ann Kuttner (ARTH)