Sample fabrication sketch

Inflating the Truth Booth.

Interior video recording area of Truth Booth.

IN SEARCH OF THE TRUTH
Commissioned by the Arts Council of Ireland and the SF Foundation, the ©AUSE COLLECTIVE artists Ryan Alexiev, Hank Willis Thomas and Jim Ricks are launching the project In Search of the Truth (The Truth Booth) at the Galway Arts Festival in Ireland, July 11-24, 2011 then touring festivals and various sites in Ireland.

The artists are based in San Francisco, New York and Galway respectively. Much of their work has dealt with ways in which media images inform the way people perceive themselves as well as others globally. They became increasingly interested in finding ways to use installation and video art as a medium for innovative cross-cultural communication. This project initiates that conversation.

In Search of the Truth (The Truth Booth) is an installation comprised of a touring, portable, inflatable 'Truth Booth'. The exterior is iconically shaped like a giant cartoon speech bubble with the word 'TRUTH' boldly printed on the side. The interior acts much like a photo booth, but serves to compile minute long video responses from the public.

Once seated inside, participants will invited to record their opinions and thoughts on the question "The truth is". Their responses can be anything they choose, from philosophical to humorous. Once finished, their recording can then be replayed, redone or saved.

The booth will travel to well-known arts festivals, city locations, little known rural fairs, and the odd stop in between. As such, it will capture the diversity of viewpoints and of people in Ireland at a time of change and uncertainty. To expand and engage with audiences, the movements of the 'Truth Booth' and sample responses will be tracked on a dedicated website.

The artists intend to incorporate responses from the Truth Booth in Ireland with voices from international audience. In Search of the Truth will tour various countries to collect a diverse range of video responses and a website and video mosaic will be created from the material.



THE ARTISTS

Ryan Alexiev was born in Los Angeles and raised in Alaska by Bulgarian immigrants. He received a Bachelor of Arts degree in History from the University of California at Berkeley in 1994 and an MFA from the California College of the Arts in 2007.

Hank Willis Thomas was raised in New York City. He received a BFA in Photography and Africana Studies from New York University's Tisch School of the Arts. He received an MFA in Photography and an MA in Visual Criticism at the California College of the Arts.

Born in California, Jim Ricks received his MFA from the National University of Ireland, Galway and Burren College of Art programme and his BFA from the California College of the Arts.