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Family Dress Story, 2022-2023
Family Dress Story, 2022-2023
                   cyberspace 
Julia, a persona communicates her concern of the “Family Dress” in cyberspace, with hundreds “matches” in the Tinder chat room. They consist of a wider social group, belonging to a prescribed type of behavior on the specific social platform. I chose cyberspace as communication facilitated via the use of the internet, by opening many questions about “what is cyberspace?” Cold communication in cyberspace through interactive technology distorts, emphasizing their inability to read through digital communication the story of the dress. Not at all strange when I think that there was no meaningful communication with my family either.
The virtual space where online interaction takes place creates a condition of cold intimacy, in which our window is the computer, what is seen is not physical objects, but consists of data, drastically changing the way we interact and communicate. The concept of cyber-communication interactivity is a two way communication that takes place without the boundaries of time and space.
Employing the Post - Internet methods on my project, I came across hundreds of men from different cultures and backgrounds globally and wrote in twelve different languages. By this, I destabilize my patronymic high status name.
The dress was worn by the whole family, it ended up in my possession, making it official that this family dress was our only bond, the only element connecting us as a family. Even if my family is acknowledged in national context as a prestigious one, I see no values in them as I believe that the only thing that tie us as a family was that dress.
I wanted to dispel the myth of my family because I do not feel proud of its name unlike the pride that the family has for itself I consider it as a non-existent family.
I use the christening gown as a symbol as for it was the only thing that united us because it touched our bodies
Through my narrative I negotiate my memories from all members of the family that wore this dress, as an attempt to decide what to do with this dress that for me is a symbol of a curse.
My father’s rejection trigger a huge pain and anger towards similar male figures. It was an easy prey to find as “Tinder” platform was the appropriate tool. I introduced myself as Julia , because the only day I wore this dress was at my christening and was baptized Julia , and that was the one and only day of my life that I was called Julia. On my Tinder profile I wrote : “would you like to hear my dress story?” As a result 163 nonsense conversations made them an absolute mess through our conversations.

In attempt to categorise in groups the response of more than 300 conversation about my family dress story, I found several different types of approach:

 A group of people that refused to hear about my father’s sexual abuse towards me as a 7 year old child in the beginning of the story. They where against children sexual abuse and probably misguide me as a male figure that probably was trying to introduce them in my sexual fantasies on children. As a  result they left our chat conversation.

  Another group was hopeful hoping to have a sexting chat with me, so most of their answers were about my sexual feelings towards my dad. But as the story anfolds they got quite disappointed and believed I had mental issues  and  needed urgently help from a psychiatrist.

  One other group ignored my story, but continued until the end hopping for some sex with me, and sending me dickpics on a instagram account I created just for them.

 Another group and the most difficult for me, was insulting me continuously as I was desperate to open my heart to them and show then my wounds. They could only see me as a sex toy for my dad and believing I was enjoying his behaviour. These conversation were so painful and couldn’t continued them, so I closed those chats by myself.

  One group of people more sentimental found my story interesting and wanted to help by giving advises about my self healing.

  There was also a small group of people that felt intimate with me, expressing their own wound by charing their own tragical personal story, that was much more painful than mine. These people made me feel that their own story was much more painful than mine.
By using them as performers of my project without their permission , I got back my power that my father took from me , making them as ridiculous as possible, covering their faces with the family dress.

Would you like to hear my dress story ?
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