Tobias Fike: When I Am Gone

When I Am Gone is an attempt at coming to terms with the inevitability of death and an examination of the impact loss has on those left behind. Fike’s seemingly playful video asks the question, after death, what parts of us remain?

Fike uses paint and digital effects to slowly erase himself from the screen. As he scoops up the green paint and applies it to his costumed body, it disappears, but not completely. Traces of his body remain in a kind of digital residue that flickers as it appears and disappears. His shadow on the ground, also remains, resulting in a ghostly figure floating in the landscape. While this occurs mainly through failures in the process and technology used to make the video, it speaks to the potential of memory. After a loss, although the body is gone, our memories of that person remain strong. We can reflect on their impact on us and use them to feel close and connected long after death. Memories, like the residual flickering and shadow, come and go but are there to remind us of the relationships we forged in life.