The project Abglanz investigates the value and accessibility of personal information online and studies how one is reflected and recognized through the screen. Its title alludes to a German expression, used to describe a ‘pale reflection’ or a ‘distant echo’. The images are composed of moments that other people uploaded as snapshots or self-portraits on social media. Alina assembles the material into a composition that is inspired by the history of portrait paintings. Contrary to the low resolution of the compressed smartphone pictures, their sheer quantity enables the notion of precision from a distance. In its detail, one finds traces of the source image shown in marks of flashlights or filters. With a focus on mirrors and reflective surfaces, it alludes to the discourse on transparency and makes the picture look at itself.
