Smoke Break, 2018

Site Specific HD Projection, Performance Documentation

Dimensions Variable (~ Character Height 2 - 2.5m, 200 x 250 cm)

Duration:  4:33 mins (seamless loop)

Audio: n/a

In this body of work, the “Role Play”, Theo Triantafyllidis re-imagines the exhibition space as his own virtual studio. He embodies an Ork avatar, who uses digital tools to create 3D forms, which are then manifested physically as large-scale wood sculptures. This process is recorded through DIY Motion Capture and displayed in multiple mediums in the exhibition space. 

During “Smoke Break” specifically, the character is seen to be taking a break after a long day of work in the studio. The Ork can be seen in a vulnerable but at the same time dominant posture, puffing virtual smoke and looking at bystanders with an ambivalent attitude ranging from flirty to disinterested. 

In creating the Ork character, Triantafyllidis pairs prevalent video game tropes with the performative persona of The Artist. Ork Aesthetics are inspired by medieval contraptions, engineering tools, brutalism and gaming culture. The artist’s performance considers the concept of virtual labor and production in today's hybrid-reality work environments, as the Ork experiences the frustrations and complications of artistic labor in his virtual studio. After digital creation, his works are rendered physically flat in a purposeful misuse of 3D modeling, coming to occupy an alternative mass and materiality in this augmented and mixed world.