1000 Tears

Research Background Increasingly, visual artists, writers and musicians are using social media to enable participation in their art projects (PostSecret (2004-2014), We Feel Fine (2005-2014), Learning to Love You More (2002-2009)). These projects do not address whether social media platforms are suitable venues for authentic self-expression. Recent literature has addressed the use of social media to 'self-present' or to construct idealised virtual identities (Lanier 2011; Turkle 2012; Marche 2012). The creative project, 1000 Tears, approaches this enquiry from a practice-based orientation. We invited expressions of regret from the general public to see how they would choose to participate -via Facebook, SMS or postcard. Research Significance 1000 Tears is a multidisciplinary art installation, created for the Melbourne Writers Festival 2013, and exhibited from August 22 - September 1 2013. Donated regrets were displayed in an installation that combined printmaking, video and animation. The work was promoted on the video screens in the Atrium and in Federation Square and was exhibited in the Fracture Gallery, an enclosed space within the large glass walls of the Atrium and Deakin Edge at Federation Square, Melbourne, Australia. Research Contribution In collecting responses for the work, we found that most participants were reluctant to express a negative emotion such as regret via the social media platform of Facebook. In fact, only 1.5% of participants sent their regrets via Facebook, 7.5% via SMS and 91% via anonymous postcard. Existing research demonstrates that Facebook users are reluctant to post about socially undesirable emotions (Gosling, Gaddis & Vazire 2007; Zhao, Grasmuck and Martin 2008). In keeping with these findings, 1000 Tears demonstrates that people are unlikely to participate in art projects about difficult or negative emotional experiences via Facebook.