Roan Alvarez, Untitled (composite images from distance learning), 2020, Free form circuit sculpture (Copper wires, Teensy 3.2 microcontroller, (2) Adafruit 1.44 TFT (ST7735R), micro SD card, 5V 3.0A switching power supply w/ micro USB cable), 4.41 x 3 x 4.48 in (11.20 X 11.38 cm)

Roan Alvarez (b. 1995) is an artist and full-time educator based in Marikina City. In 2015, she earned her Bachelor of Fine Arts from the University of the Philippines, Diliman. Her works look into the identity inside the contemporary hypermediated world, specifically inquiring on the negotiation of identities between the physical and the virtual realm. Alvarez primarily works with interactive transmedia–– a combination of traditional and non-traditional materials and processes, which often involves the use of translucent and transparent materials, LED lights, micro-controllers, sensors, and other electronic components. The incorporation of technology in her pieces enable the audience to interact with, and sometimes influence, the work.

Untitled (composite images from distance learning) reflects on distance education and the digital divide; Looking into the numerous factors that can impede interaction and immediacy in distance learning. These factors often include limited access to technology and the internet; and even the lack of proper study or work spaces during the pandemic. The artwork is presented as a free-form circuit that connects two Thin-film-transistor (TFT) screens to one micro-controller. The screen on the left displays a series of composite images from a recorded lecture, and the other displays a still image.