The Dial Up Trilogy

THE DIAL UP TRILOGY

installation, dimensions variable, 3D animation videos on loop, digital print (59.4 cm x 84.1 cm), diploma exhibition, Athens School of Fine Arts, 2015

The Dial Up Trilogy comprises three texts/poems narrated by Cievil Momo, whose avatar is inspired by the “watermelon” stereotype—a loaded symbol reflecting racialized and cultural identities, and the complexities of representation in contemporary society. Through this figure, the work challenges imposed narratives and stereotypes, inviting a critical reflection on how identity is constructed and perceived both offline and online.

Together, these works interrogate the transformation of human communication under digital capitalism, questioning how love is commodified and digitized. The trilogy reveals the ritualistic nature of “dialing up” to the internet—a daily performance shaped by surveillance, data extraction, and the tension between connection and alienation in mediated realities.

By leveraging the sense of omnipotence and safety provided by the screen, the texts were co-written with anonymous interlocutors on social media and dating platforms, emphasizing collaborative authorship in the digital age. These poetic narratives expose the complexity of desire as a political and social force, unfolding within a system that amplifies self-projection, enforces conformity, and blurs the line between fiction and reality.