Host is an experimental video narrative that unfolds at an automated teller machine (ATM). Produced amid hype surrounding the Internet boom of the late-90s when disappearance of the body, avatars, cyborgs, plastic surgery, and progress in fertility science were orders of the day. A visually complicated video that merges 90's "MTV aesthetic" with game design.
The artist performs two characters in dialog: a young woman who "logs in" to a street-side multimedia kiosk for an online therapy session; and a system operator who juggles several calls, including technical support for a worldwide network. The young woman confides to a surveillance camera about a troublesome relationship. The operator's remarks are almost always confusing and off-putting leading to feelings of disillusionment with the system by the user. It is unclear which system she might be referring to: social, economic, operating, or gaming–maybe all systems. The user bumbles something about upgrades and the promise of a second life.
Video synopsis written by Electronic Arts Intermix.
Support provided by through an Experimental Television Center Residency in 1996.
Distributed by Electronic Arts Intermix.