Katreen Kyle M.

Hernandez
2015-02525

Worshiping Ones Self

Social media has rapidly become a necessity in our lives. With the aid of technology and

the internet, it has become easier for us to contact one another. Instead of paying for overseas calls,

with just a press of a button we can instantly see or talk to our loved ones working abroad through

online chatting platforms such as Skype or Facebook. Because of the development of smartphones,

social media has become more accessible to its users which is called microblogging. Having data

or a good Wi-Fi connection is sufficient enough so that you can instantly check the latest updates

on your friends, family and celebrities. Evidently, almost everyone has a social media account due

to its efficiency and popularity. Almost everyone can see how you represent yourself in the internet

which is the reason why it is inevitable that some people, particularly millennials, become

meticulous when it comes to what they show to everyone. They represent themselves in a

borderline narcissistic way by keeping the public updated on whatever they are doing. This certain

usage of social media is what Sandra Dans addressed in the exhibit entitled Iconolatria.

Iconolatria is the Italian word for the worship of images. The artist made use of the

problem of the early Church regarding the worshippers abuse of sacred icons. There was a

dilemma whether the sacred icons were venerated or worshipped. This has a point identical to the

usage of social media by certain people: whether the images and posts that they show to the online

community was just an act of merely sharing or, in a way, worshipping oneself. She weaved these

two ideas and showcased the end result in a series of photos she has exhibited in Iconolatria.

As you ascend the steps of Vargas Museum, you will first come across with a wall. A brief

introduction to the exhibit was plastered on the wall along with seven frames. These seven frames
contains pictures of men adorned in flowers. This series is called Mga Santong Kanto. This

representation of men isnt according to the norm where men are seen and considered as masculine.

Flowers symbolize beauty thus contrasts the idea by the hints of femininity decorating the

masculine image. In my opinion, this play with symbols regarding the gender norms is relevant

because of the surfacing of sexism as a problem in our society. Men who display a sense of

femininity or women who display a sense of masculinity are often shunned or regarded as people

unequal to the rest of the society. There is a community that is always on guard or in the defense

of the unordinary which are generally those who offer themselves up to religion. The

representation of a different view of the male gender promotes equality and openness to ideas and

people that contrast the norm.

The artist used herself as a model in the pictures she has displayed in the exhibit. The first

thing that caught my attention was, of course, the first picture entitled The Annunciation. This

photograph sparked my curiosity because of the editing and the symbols. It showcased two

representations of herself one which was more adapt to reality considering the disheveled hair

and attire while the other resembling an angel, taking into consideration the attire, the prominent

wings sticking out of her back, the glow she emitted and even the short haircut. There was an

exchange of a stem of white flowers in the picture. In my opinion, the dynamic of the poses of the

two models resembled Michelangelos iconic fresco painting entitled The Creation of Adam. The

photograph shows that she is looking up to an angel form of herself a pure and holy form that

one would naturally venerate or worship. It represents the general scheme of the exhibit wherein

one worships oneself.

The following images displayed various scenarios of herself doing ordinary activities such

as having coffee, taking a bath, going to the gym, listening to music, visiting the beach and
enjoying an amusement park. These are a few of the images youd frequently see being shared in

social media. The artist has added the idea of the Christian dilemma by adorning the model in

spiritual symbolisms such as halos, the flame above the head and spiritual glow. She showed an

emotionless expression on her face just as the early Christians presented saints. This also created

more focus on the holy symbols. From a Catholics point of view, the application of these holy

symbols to the images are blasphemous. However, viewing it as a part of the society where the

social media culture thrives, these images accurately in an exaggerated manner depict the usage

of social media as a form of creating a respected and sought after image of yourself to the online

public. I have noticed that flowers were a recurring part of the images, may they be in the

background or as an ornament in her hair. In The Annunciation, an angel representation of herself

was giving the other a flower. Analyzing the arrangement of the images, I inferred that the

occurrence of flowers represent the angel in the succeeding images. It could imply that the view

of herself as something to be worshipped or something holy such as an angel was present in the

images. I would also like to point out the usage of hashtags as the titles of the pictures that people

often use in order to make their posts more accessible to not only their friends but also to the

anonymous users of the specific social media.

Stampitas were utilized in the exhibit as a representation of the microblogging aspect.

Stampitas are Catholic prayer cards which are used to carry out faith. They could be brought

everywhere due to its size which are reminiscent of todays mobile phones. Social media is made

portable and accessible due to smartphones and the artist made stampitas of herself with captions

at the back, instead of the usual prayers, as if they were posted in social media such as Instagram

and Twitter. This was made evident by the use of hashtags and usernames. The artist presented

through analogy that the act of worshiping the image of oneself is also carried out with the use of
mobile phones. I view this as something I am terribly guilty of because I also tend to use my

smartphone as a platform to share notable accounts of my day to day life.

The artist did not restrict to conveying the message just through the images but also the

exhibit. She has pointed out in one of the descriptions the fact that she is using pictures with herself

as a model in her own exhibit. It shows the self-worship aspect of her theme minus the God

analogy. Given that the Vargas Museum requires that the galleries are to feature something from

their archive, the artist has chosen to use Jorge B. Vargas portraits and photographs to display

alongside her work in a museum named after himself. This is to create another representation of

the message she wishes to express which she also pointed out in the description mentioned

previously. She has produced three different depictions of how we humans tend to worship

ourselves.

As someone guilty of romanticizing ordinary activities and ones worth through self-

representation in social media, I can relate to the exhibit of Sandra Dans. The victims of the

forming social media cult are the millennials of this generation, which I am included in. We

struggle to create an image of ourselves that others would find interesting or aesthetically pleasing.

In the grand scheme of Iconolatria, people who frequently use social media as not just a hobby or

pastime but as a part of their life have become incredibly fond of presenting ourselves and our

daily activities to the online public. Despite the manner in which the artist expressed this in a

blasphemous approach, I do not see it as something that we should condemn. Creating an image

we like of ourselves in the internet, disregarding whether it is a far cry from our true selves off the

internet or not, can be considered as an art form. It is as if we are creating models that we strive to

achieve or become. Looking at it from a different perspective from the artist, presenting oneself

through pictures and sharing it incessantly in our social media accounts is a mechanism for people
such as myself to accept ourselves by creating an image of us in a way that we like. It gives us a

sense of acceptance from the society and eventually from ourselves.

This act that can be accurately described as self-worship is something that is open to be

viewed in different aspects. Some may see it as an act of self-appreciation to gross extents or

narcissism while others may see it as an inspirational act of acceptance. Either way, this will not

fade sooner or later. It came with the rise of social media and it will be here until the end of it

that is, if it has an end.