Being Human

"Being Human" is a massive labyrinth that contains at least 1,000 works produced by Abrahams and others between 1997 and 2007, including "Confrontation," "Separation / séparation," and "Wishes."

In this "collection of dynamic, interlinked, net specific works . . . Annie Abrahams explores the possibilities and limits of online communication.

The internet has radically altered our ways of communicating. The physical absence of the 'other' in our interaction with, and contact through, a computer screen (be it via a webcam, email, or social media) makes online communication an activity that is ultimately performed alone. Being Human questions notions of identity and connectedness, while relating to our contemporary networked society. What does it mean to be human within these networked circumstances?

As Abrahams states on her website, '[t]he site [Being Human] is based on the idea that the internet is an artistic medium that permits addressing people in their own intimacy, non-mediated by an art context.' The webpages present content that can be described as 'digital poetry' in the form of questions, statements, or advice, that express emotional needs, moods, and desires, which relate to connectedness with others or address solitude. By clicking through the pages, selecting words or statements from multiple choice propositions, adding or replacing existent information, the visitor is invited to participate in the creation of this exploratory landscape. The characteristic visual aesthetic of Being Human is a significant element that contributes to its look-and-feel. A simple and straightforward design that combines specific choices in colour and typography, and which also includes embedded videos and other images." -- From "Introduction"