A title full of possibility, “The State of Being Indivisible (I Want A Perfect Soul),” lingered on my bright telephone screen. I pondered what the name could possibly mean, but I couldn’t predict what I had gotten myself into when I decided to review the exhibition at the Brookline Arts Center.
While the exhibition “The State of Being Indivisible (I Want A Perfect Soul),” created by visual artist Elizabeth Withstandley, may look quite unremarkable due to its size, it truly is a thought-provoking experience. Through mediums such as writing, audio and video, it explores topics of identity and how others perceive you by emphasizing different points of view.
“The State of Being Indivisible” is based on the inspiring journey of writer Amy Schneider, holder of the second-longest winning streak on Jeopardy at 40 days. In 2021, Schneider joined the game show as the first ever openly transgender woman and eventually qualified for the Tournament of Champions, Jeopardy’s most prestigious competition.
The main goal of this exhibition is for the viewer to realize how much external perceptions can shape personal identity. To AI or the online world in general, you can curate a custom persona of who you want people to think you are. Withstandley reflects this through choosing to give ChatGPT certain characteristics of herself to generate facts.
Withstandley utilizes Schneider’s reign on Jeopardy to emphasize her feelings on the topic of individuality. Throughout her many nights on the game show, Schneider answered assorted questions about herself. Inspired by this, Withstandley created the exhibit.
Through a display adorned in blue velvet fabric, Withstandley uses Schneider’s journey on Jeopardy to explore identity in many different ways. On a screen to the right of the room, a 27-minute video grid plays. Slowly, clips of Schneider explaining fun facts about herself start filling up the countless cells.
These facts are widely varied, from questions about how she was voted most likely to be on Jeopardy in her school, to how the pearl necklace she always wore was symbolistic of the loss of a loved one. I loved how much I was able to connect with her and learn about her experiences through this seemingly random array of facts.
Moving farther into the room, the blue curtains cover three podiums, each of which holds a different script placed in front of a tiny screen. Reading through these varied texts, I learned that they are compilations of facts about Withstandley’s life from various sources. One script was written by herself, one by her friends and family and one, surprisingly, by AI.
The part that intrigued me the most was the drastic differences between the three scripts. Each displays 41 different facts about Withstandley, a number that references the 41 questions that were asked to Schneider throughout her Jeopardy reign.
For “Elizabeth 3,” the ChatGPT generated script, the facts are very surface level and are delivered with a monotone voice, circuitous language and robotic movements.
“Elizabeth 2,” the identity formed by Withstandley’s family and friends, was portrayed by a more expressive and emotional actor. The information for the section was gained from interviews with Withstandley’s loved ones, some of whom provided up to ten different unique facts about her. These responses reveal Withstandley in a more complex light, showing the struggles she has had to deal with as well as how she chooses to live her life.
Lastly, “Elizabeth 1,” a personality composed by Withstandley herself, digs even deeper into who she is as a person. As a reader, I was able to deeply connect with how Withstandley feels about different points in her life that I had understood only shallowly before.
The audio in the room further revealed to me the significance of Withstandley’s use of AI. Playing in the background are popular songs such as “Lose Yourself” by Eminem and “Creep” by Radiohead played softly in the background. An AI voice speaks over the music about the importance of individuality and genuine emotions.
In my opinion, it is much harder to hide your emotional victories and struggles from those who you are close with. The perception your friends and family have of you breaks through these barriers you might set up for people you barely know. They have seen you through your ups and downs, and throughout the times they have spent with you, can formulate an idea of who you are.
It is impossible to deny who you are to yourself, you know what you prefer and don’t prefer, and how you feel about your experiences throughout life. Withstandley demonstrates this by writing deeply personal facts about herself.
Reflecting on my visit, “The State of Being Indivisible” reminded me of the impact in which perception has on identity. Withstandley was able to take an intriguing concept and display it in a way I would have never imagined. For someone who has always loved thought-provoking art, the exhibition fulfilled my expectations. Going is worth the trip for any who feel the same.
