2013-  Video installation
HDV/ Color/ Sound
Complete statement and interview questions

Silas Fong invites online stalker to suggest a target which he would approach and conduct video interview with. The stalkers set questions according to his knowledge to the stalkees. The stalkee was not told the identity of the stalker at any course. The stalkee then sits for an interview. During this interview the stalkee unavoidably created an image of the stalker and represented themselves with response to this imagination. The video was shown to the stalker after it is edited and commentary are done according to the discrepancy of the stalkee’s in fantasy and reality. In this work, audience is actually looking from the stalkers perspective while being aware of his/her mental activity according to the video.

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Dear Stranger,

Are there people in your social networks that you don’t even know, that you have never seen, that you are not too familiar with. There maybe someone whom you are curious about, and have even watched for some time.

Have you ever thought of knowing them further without disclosing yourself?
If you have, we can help.
This is an invitation to enjoy our service.
We would help you to interview these strangers, and you would have the chance to comment on your strangers freely. We assure you that your identity would be kept confidential.

If you are intrigued, please kindly contact us by email via isp@silasfong.com.

Yours sincerely,
Silas Fong
Interview Service Provider

Exhibited in
《Sky ++》 Digital Community Art Exhibition, Goethe Institute, Hong Kong 2013

陌生人訪問服務
2013- 錄像裝置
高清/彩色/聲音
完整介紹及訪問內容

親愛的陌生人,

在你的社交網絡中有沒有一些你根本不認識、你從未見過面或你不太熟悉的人？這些人當中可能有誰令你感到好奇或你在很久以前已看上他/她？

有沒有想過更深入認識他/她而不需揭露自己的身份？如果你有，我們可以幫到你。我們誠邀閣下享用我們的服務。我們可以代閣下訪問這些陌生人，並為你提供機會讓你盡情評價你的陌生人。我們確保你的身份絕對保密。

如閣下深感興趣，請發電郵至isp@silasfong.com聯絡我們。

陌生人訪問服務
方琛宇謹啟

展覽
《Sky++》數碼社區藝術展覽,香港歌德學院畫廊 2013

Video Excerpt

Video stills

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Social network now allows us to get in and out of a stranger’s life without any difficulty. The greatest advantage of all is you can meet an enormous crowd of strangers in no time. It might be incorrect to stalk a stranger’s life without notice. However, a stranger has clearly granted such permission once their photos, information and thought are uploaded to the public domain. Don’t feel guilty about your curiosity. It should be shared and talked as hobbies for pleasure. After all, aren’t we all curious to know more about that familiar stranger?

The Service
Interview Service Provider (ISP) makes the world more open while being able to keep people disconnected. Enjoy the excitement and being safe at the same time.

We now offer stalkers the opportunities to know more about a stranger further through social networks.

We would help a stalker to interview a desired stranger (stalkee). ISP professional conduct guarantees that the stalker’s identity be kept confidential by both parties (ISP and the stalker).

When a stalker agrees to participate, ISP would approach this stalkee to sit for a video interview.

ISP would ask for the stalkee’s permission. When granted, ISP asks the stalker to provide 10 questions and 1 message for the stalkee. One single rule applies – any question or message that potentially suggests the stalkers’ identity would not be entertained.

Both ISP and the stalker shall never disclose the identity of the stalker by any means.

The video would be roughly edited and shown to the stalker. The stalker proceeds to comment on the stalkee and the video (commentary) as written text with ISP guidance.

The commentary would be made according to stalkee’s behaviour, and the discrepancy between the stalker’s fantasy and reality. Therefore the stalker is required to comment on the video in general but not just the stalkee.

After the final editing and adjustment by ISP, the interviews would be released in selected public occasions as a form of moving image. It would include the video interviews, the recorded speech of the stalkee and commentaries as subtitle by stalkers.

We would not disclose the stalkee’s response to the stalker’s message to any party.

It is ISP’s professional endeavor to satisfy any stalker’s curiosity and keep the stalkee’s curiosity ravenous.

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現今的社交網絡讓大家方便無阻地進出陌生人的生活。

最大的貢獻莫過於為大眾提供了龐大的陌生人群，你可以隨時遇上任何人。事前未經通知就跟蹤一個陌生人的生活可能是不對的。但當一個陌生人將自己的相片、資料及想法上載到公共領域的一刻開始，已經明確授權任何人任意觀賞。

所以大家別為自己的好奇心感到罪疚，反而可當作嗜好般一起分享閒談，享受當中樂趣。說到底，有誰對那熟識的陌生人不帶半點好奇心？

服務範圍
陌生人訪問服務(ISP)令世界變得更加開放而保持人與人之間的安全距離。享受刺激同時不失安全感。我們正為跟蹤者提供良機，令他們對陌生人的了解不再止於社交網絡上的認識。我們會為跟蹤者訪問他們滿懷好奇的陌生人。經相方同意及合作　(ISP與跟蹤者），ISP的專業操守保證跟蹤者的身份將永遠保密。當跟蹤者同意後，陌生人訪問服務將會邀請這個被跟蹤者接受錄像訪問。

ISP會請求被跟蹤者允許訪問。得到允許後，跟蹤者須向ISP提供10條為被跟蹤者度身訂做的問題和1則口訊。

其中設立一條重要的規則 – 任何有可能透露跟蹤者身份的問題或口訊都不會獲得接納。

ISP 和跟蹤者雙方訂約永不以任何方式洩露跟蹤者的身份。

訪問拍攝所得的片段經初步剪輯後會展示跟蹤者。跟蹤者就被跟蹤者的受訪片段以文字進行評論。

評論的內容會按照被跟蹤者的行為、跟蹤者的幻想與現實的落差而寫成。所以跟蹤者不只評論被跟蹤者而

是該評論訪問錄像的整體。

經ISP的調節及最後剪輯，整個訪問系列會以流動影像的模式在公共場合展示。包括訪問被跟蹤者的影像和講話以及跟蹤者評論訪問的字幕。

我們不會向任何人士公開被跟蹤者對跟蹤者口訊的回應。

ISP 將竭力滿足跟蹤者的好奇心同時半吊着被跟蹤者的好奇心。

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