Prism Portraits is a participatory social media archive that challenges the audience to critically re-examine digital photo filters and their effects on our (self-)perception. The project comprises three components: participants’ smartphone cameras, a dedicated hashtag (#prismportraits) and a set of instructions for participants.

The instructions will ask participants to take a selfie, select a hue-based filter (either from their preferred social media platform or a photo-editing software), and share the picture on Instagram using #prismportraits. Participants will also be asked to include a rationale explaining their filter choice, answering a set of questions such as: how does this filter change the way your self-perception in this photo? Seeing yourself in this manner, what emotions and thoughts do you experience? Audience members can search the hashtag to view the other Prism Portraits, and are encouraged to express their reactions to the portraits in the comments.

By offering participants the opportunity to creatively engage and reflect on filtered self-(re)presentation in public online spaces, Prism Portraits disrupts the filter-cliché and creates an awareness of the way in which filters shape our emotional responses to images in digital spaces.

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Prism Portraits

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