Hello!
My name’s Ashley. I think I create things, sometimes.
About
idkwhattosay
This project offers to analyse the relationship between authenticity of one's expression of grief, as well as, the contemporary social conventions in the expression of grief in a virtual public space.
A commentary on the expression of
grief on social media and its performative nature.
This project offers to analyse the relationship between authenticity of one's expression of grief, as well as, the contemporary social conventions in the expression of grief in a virtual public space.
A commentary on the expression of
grief on social media and its performative nature.
2022-2023
Death thoroughly intrigues me as a whole and the topic came about like this:
![]()
Had my own grievances with social media and that’s how this topic came about. This was also inspired by an article from Mynah Magazine -- Issue 01, titled: Performative
Grief for a Post-Human Leader. This kick-started my year-long research topic.
![]()
![]()
The bulk of my thought process and ideation can be found here, in my Creative Process Journal.
![]()
The process of research included a bunch manual data collection for the hashtag #RIP, on Instagram, the most used social media platform that Singaporean youth use. A general gauge of how grief is expressed on social media can be found through the data collection which lead to the conclusion of the top 100 most used words in expressions of grief. Which comes in handy when I was able to apply this and compare this in parallel to Dr Crystal Abidin’s The Grief Aesthetic, which is a register of visual tropes identified in grief expression on social media.
What was produced in the final conclusion of all the research done, with the following insights:
![]()
I thought that the final outcome for the project would not be a solution to the issue of the performative culture of social media, as it is already ingrained in our contemporary social norms, thus I aim to provoke audiences instead. I decided that employing a tone and art direction that is impersonal, sardonic and sarcastic could be a way for the project to hit harder and be more impactful for thought.
DELIVERABLE 01
// THE STARTER KIT![]()
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This starter kit’s intention was to provoke thought and introspection from the viewer, in hopes that they’d reflect on what is seen on their feeds.
This kit consists of 4 separate collaterals: ① A speculative set of rules social media users could follow
② A print for reminders’ sake to BFFR
③ The Grief Aesthetic Zine
④ Dead Tired Zine
︎︎︎ ① A speculative set of rules
These rules are framed in an affirmation sort of tone, for viewers to just “take what they need” just like the affirmation trend. Going along with the sarcastic approach of “following trends”, the affirmation tone solidifies the direction.
![]()
︎︎︎ ② A print for reminders’ sake to BFFR
This hinges on the obsession this generation has with anything pretty and prints, I decided to use BFFR (Be Fucking For Real), to illustrate this because it’s now been a commonly used phrase in Internet slang. Just a reminder to be authentic while on social media.
![]()
︎︎︎ ③ The Grief Aesthetic Zine
This zine highlights the grief aesthetic, a term coined by Dr Crystal Abidin, which is a register of visual tropes and cues on social media found in social media posts that express grief. I managed to update this register and make an updated version through manual data collection and this Zine contains the 100 most used words in grief-related posts, as well as, commonly used imagery.
![]()
![]()
︎︎︎ ④ Dead Tired Zine
This little pub is a little bit more sarcastic than the rest that were presented. It pokes fun at the current norms seen in grief-related posts, it comes off slightly insulting but as a joke, all in hopes to provoke the thought and reflection as intended.
![]()
DELIVERABLE 02
// IF I DIED
If I Died is a deliverable that was a self-experiment. The concept of this was to fake my own death on social media to see the reactions I would receive, thereafter, I collected the eulogies and reactions from people I know on social media. This deliverable comes in 3 parts:
① If I Died: A collection of eulogies
② My Funeral Invitation
③ My Eulogy Video
![]()
︎︎︎ ① If I Died: A collection of eulogies
These were the eulogies and reactions collected from people I know from social media, after announcing “my death” on Instagram. It’s arranged from the shortest to longest, an observation that those who knew me truly sent longer eulogies and reactions compared to those I knew in passing.
![]()
︎︎︎ ② My Funeral Invitation
The invitation was something I have always thought about since I was 16, having my funeral to be invitational-based was a funny idea that I could finally execute for this project. I made it a little pull-out pop-up card because I think my view of myself dying isn’t all that serious, and those that receive this invitation, shouldn’t take my death seriously too. The red envelope was used as a nod to red packets from Chinese New Year, to be taken as a joyous event, hopefully.
![]()
![]()
︎︎︎ ③ My Eulogy Video
The Eulogy Video was done in a humorous tone. It is essentially how I think my funeral would sort of look like, nothing too serious and yet, the sentimental value of the eulogies I received would still remain.
![]()
Click for link to watch
DELIVERABLE 03
// SOCIAL MEDIA TEMPLATES
This was a parody of social media templates often used and sold online recently. This idea hinges off the insight of how curated social media is. If one was truly authentic, there shouldn’t be a pre-planned thought of curating how they express their grief on social media. Yet again, this is also a sarcastic deliverable to poke fun at how curated the online social media norms are, questioning its authenticity.
This was presented in the form of posters to be commodified, to further push the idea.
![]()
![]()
![]()
Death thoroughly intrigues me as a whole and the topic came about like this:
Had my own grievances with social media and that’s how this topic came about. This was also inspired by an article from Mynah Magazine -- Issue 01, titled: Performative
Grief for a Post-Human Leader. This kick-started my year-long research topic.
The bulk of my thought process and ideation can be found here, in my Creative Process Journal.
The process of research included a bunch manual data collection for the hashtag #RIP, on Instagram, the most used social media platform that Singaporean youth use. A general gauge of how grief is expressed on social media can be found through the data collection which lead to the conclusion of the top 100 most used words in expressions of grief. Which comes in handy when I was able to apply this and compare this in parallel to Dr Crystal Abidin’s The Grief Aesthetic, which is a register of visual tropes identified in grief expression on social media.
What was produced in the final conclusion of all the research done, with the following insights:
I thought that the final outcome for the project would not be a solution to the issue of the performative culture of social media, as it is already ingrained in our contemporary social norms, thus I aim to provoke audiences instead. I decided that employing a tone and art direction that is impersonal, sardonic and sarcastic could be a way for the project to hit harder and be more impactful for thought.
THE FINAL DELIVERABLES
DELIVERABLE 01
// THE STARTER KIT
This starter kit’s intention was to provoke thought and introspection from the viewer, in hopes that they’d reflect on what is seen on their feeds.
This kit consists of 4 separate collaterals: ① A speculative set of rules social media users could follow
② A print for reminders’ sake to BFFR
③ The Grief Aesthetic Zine
④ Dead Tired Zine
︎︎︎ ① A speculative set of rules
These rules are framed in an affirmation sort of tone, for viewers to just “take what they need” just like the affirmation trend. Going along with the sarcastic approach of “following trends”, the affirmation tone solidifies the direction.
︎︎︎ ② A print for reminders’ sake to BFFR
This hinges on the obsession this generation has with anything pretty and prints, I decided to use BFFR (Be Fucking For Real), to illustrate this because it’s now been a commonly used phrase in Internet slang. Just a reminder to be authentic while on social media.
︎︎︎ ③ The Grief Aesthetic Zine
This zine highlights the grief aesthetic, a term coined by Dr Crystal Abidin, which is a register of visual tropes and cues on social media found in social media posts that express grief. I managed to update this register and make an updated version through manual data collection and this Zine contains the 100 most used words in grief-related posts, as well as, commonly used imagery.
︎︎︎ ④ Dead Tired Zine
This little pub is a little bit more sarcastic than the rest that were presented. It pokes fun at the current norms seen in grief-related posts, it comes off slightly insulting but as a joke, all in hopes to provoke the thought and reflection as intended.
DELIVERABLE 02
// IF I DIED
If I Died is a deliverable that was a self-experiment. The concept of this was to fake my own death on social media to see the reactions I would receive, thereafter, I collected the eulogies and reactions from people I know on social media. This deliverable comes in 3 parts:
① If I Died: A collection of eulogies
② My Funeral Invitation
③ My Eulogy Video
︎︎︎ ① If I Died: A collection of eulogies
These were the eulogies and reactions collected from people I know from social media, after announcing “my death” on Instagram. It’s arranged from the shortest to longest, an observation that those who knew me truly sent longer eulogies and reactions compared to those I knew in passing.
︎︎︎ ② My Funeral Invitation
The invitation was something I have always thought about since I was 16, having my funeral to be invitational-based was a funny idea that I could finally execute for this project. I made it a little pull-out pop-up card because I think my view of myself dying isn’t all that serious, and those that receive this invitation, shouldn’t take my death seriously too. The red envelope was used as a nod to red packets from Chinese New Year, to be taken as a joyous event, hopefully.
︎︎︎ ③ My Eulogy Video
The Eulogy Video was done in a humorous tone. It is essentially how I think my funeral would sort of look like, nothing too serious and yet, the sentimental value of the eulogies I received would still remain.
Click for link to watch
DELIVERABLE 03
// SOCIAL MEDIA TEMPLATES
This was a parody of social media templates often used and sold online recently. This idea hinges off the insight of how curated social media is. If one was truly authentic, there shouldn’t be a pre-planned thought of curating how they express their grief on social media. Yet again, this is also a sarcastic deliverable to poke fun at how curated the online social media norms are, questioning its authenticity.
This was presented in the form of posters to be commodified, to further push the idea.
