Surrogate Bodies delves into the intricate relationship between identity, control, and ownership in an era of increasingly pervasive and complex algorithms. Focusing on the face as the link between our online and offline identities, the installation examines the role of biometrics and facial recognition technologies and their prevalence in our daily lives.
Through the use of cutting-edge AI technologies, viewers can assume control of Phelan’s virtual self, inviting critical reflection on the fragility of identity and the shifting nature of ownership in the digital realm, where our representations can be easily accessed, manipulated, or even commodified.
Through this live reanimation process, the viewer becomes a "surrogate body," raising questions about existence beyond the biological form and the implications of having our virtual selves inhabited by others. This dynamic highlights power imbalances and ethical concerns inherent in making one's likeness publicly accessible in spaces where digital manipulation is not only common but progressively sophisticated.
Surrogate Bodies speculates on how AI perceives the human form and ultimately aims to shed light on the democratization of surveillance, prompting viewers to contemplate the growing complexities of online identity, as technology increasingly blurs the boundaries between physical and digital existence.

Aisling Phelan is an Irish multi-disciplinary artist working across AI, 3D animation, photography, video, sculpture, virtual reality, and live interactive technologies. Her work delves into the complex relationship between our online and offline identities and aims to highlight the ethical concerns and vulnerabilities of digital representation.
Heavily concerned with the body, Phelan explores the intricacies of corporeal identity and its relationship with technology. By examining the inherent losses that occur in both physically replicating and digitally reconstructing her own body, she investigates the abstraction, fragmentation, and validity of our multiple identities. Ultimately, her practice questions the impact of current digital infrastructure on our social and mental well-being, and what it means to be human in an era of rapid technological advancement and pervasive social media influence.