Keyboard Warrior Ying Yang combines animation and video to highlight the devastating consequences of slander. Yang was inspired by real life events in the lives of celebrities and public figures like Dannyi, a Chinese celebrity, who was subjected to online abuse. The work sheds light on this dark parasocial behavior behind the screen through the lens of a follower watching an influencer, portrayed as an adorable animated rabbit. The human subject, anonymous and hidden by a dark hoodie, begins to spread malicious rumors about the rabbit online, provoking a cascade of malicious responses. The work takes a strong stance against online harassment, while also stepping into the shadows of the human psyche where it may originate.
---Cindy Qiu---