A thesis exhibition by Raquel Weinberg
April 21st, 2025
Infrared heat maps, graffiti, and industrial materials are used to create a psychological space shaped by surveillance and self-judgment. The human figure appears as a glowing silhouette—seen, but not fully known.
Surveillance covers the streets of urban environments. I explore the vulnerability and power that comes with knowing you are being watched. I paint with infrared color schemes to portray the human figure, showing how a body can be physically present but lack a clear identity.
I document real tags found in bar bathrooms, city streets, and hidden alleys. Marks left by others, recontextualized through silkscreen and paint, turning them into a kind of archive. These elements reside on metal surfaces that stand both as a barrier and a mirror. It’s cold and industrial, like the systems that watch and control us,
By layering these gestures, I honor the original graffiti artists while building a world of my own. It’s a world shaped by shared authorship, where even anonymous voices leave a lasting mark.
The exhibition’s title, Sonder: Seeing and Being Seen, references the definition of sonder—the realization that everyone lives a life as vivid and complex as your own. This idea grounds the work: that every tag, every figure, every trace carries a story we may never fully know.
Sonder invites viewers to reflect not only on how we see others, but how we are seen—and what it means to leave a mark.
This exhibition invites your participation. Use the markers provided to tag, scrawl, and inscribe directly onto the walls. Mark the space. Claim it. Disrupt it.