Inspired by Max Siedentopf’s passport photo series, NPNC (無臉不回) looks at the visual language of queer dating apps, where headless torso photos and asking for a “face pic” have become such a normal part of interacting with one another. The project plays with this familiar experience by photographing bodies in ways that might initially feel recognizable from these apps. But when the images are opened, the anonymous headless torsos are unexpectedly given plush toy heads.
The humor of the images comes from how strange and ridiculous these combinations can feel, but underneath that playfulness is something more serious. The plush toys bring a sense of childhood and innocence into a space that is very much associated with adult desire. For me, this also points to the reality that underage users sometimes enter these platforms and interact with grown men, raising questions around vulnerability, safety, and who might actually be behind the screen.
At the same time, the work is about the strange ways we choose to reveal and hide ourselves online. Someone might be comfortable showing their entire body while still refusing to show their face. We want connection and intimacy, but we also find ways to protect ourselves from being fully seen.
NPNC uses humor to explore these contradictions within queer digital spaces. The series asks what we choose to show, what we choose to hide, and what it means to actually see the person on the other side of the screen.
