In the magical world of ‘Alice in Wonderland’, the Cheshire Cat acts as the moderator between Alice, the human newcomer, and Wonderland, the parallel reality governed by chaos and nonsense. Though Cheshire is part of this Wonderland ecosystem, it possesses the wisdom that other characters do not and understands that Alice is accustomed to a different reality. In online terms, the Cheshire Cat fulfills the role of a forum mod (moderator); a platform user responsible for keeping the space in order and introducing new users to the rules and etiquette of the virtual environment. As moderating a forum can be a time-demanding task that seldom brings monetary compensation, the individuals who hold these titles are not necessarily granted significant status in their offline lives. Yet, in the virtual setting, they hold the power over who gets to exist in them.
For this piece, I created my own virtual avatar in a self-imagined online forum. I present the skin of this avatar within a video installation that, with its form, references the character of Cheshire – representing the higher power of this speculated online environment. In this work, I aim to highlight the shift of power dynamics when navigating between virtual and physical realities and imagine a hopeful future where the Internet can serve as a tool for reclaiming power.
