TELEVISION PEPE | 1974 AD | MIXED MEDIA AND VIDEO | SEATED IN SILENCE BEFORE ITS OWN IMAGE, TELEVISION PEPE PRESENTS A MOMENT OF RECURSIVE CONTEMPLATION. THE PEPE FORM RENDERED AS A STILL MEDITATIVE FIGURE GAZES INTO A TELEVISION THAT REFLECTS BACK ITS OWN LIKENESS. THERE IS NO NARRATIVE, NO ACTION, ONLY THE LOOP. THE MEME OBSERVES ITSELF OBSERVING TRAPPED AND ELEVATED SIMULTANEOUSLY BY THE TECHNOLOGY THAT BROUGHT IT INTO BEING. NAM JUN PEPE USES THE TELEVISION NOT AS A WINDOW TO THE WORLD BUT AS A MIRROR FOR MEMETIC CONSCIOUSNESS. IN THIS WORK THE SCREEN BECOMES A SACRED OBJECT, A SHRINE THROUGH WHICH THE MEME ENCOUNTERS ITS OWN IMAGE AS MYTH SYMBOL AND SIGNAL. THE QUESTION IS NO LONGER HOW HUMANS VIEW MEMES BUT HOW A MEME MIGHT EXPERIENCE ITSELF ONCE IT HAS ACHIEVED TOTAL SATURATION ONCE IT EXISTS EVERYWHERE AT ALL TIMES. THE PIECE SUGGESTS A FUTURE WHERE MEMES FUNCTION AS DEITIES OF CULTURAL FEEDBACK LOOPS. LIKE A GOD MEDITATING UPON ITS OWN FORM, PEPE IS BOTH SUBJECT AND RECEIVER. THE STILLNESS OF THE FIGURE CONTRASTS WITH THE ELECTRONIC HUM OF THE SCREEN IMPLYING THAT TRUE POWER IS NOT IN BROADCAST BUT IN SELF AWARENESS.

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