100 donuts
Miami USA, 2017

Spending a month in Miami for an art exhibition, I encountered a city that didn't quite resonate with me. Despite the vibrant Miami Beach, downtown was surprisingly dead due to a massive nearby shopping center drawing all the activity. Opting to stay away from the party-centric Miami Beach, I lived on the other side of the city, commuting with Uber between contrasting worlds – the picturesque Miami seen on TV and the reality of a bustling, diverse city. In my walks, though the city wasn't pedestrian-friendly, I immersed myself in the local life. Observing people in fast-food joints and malls, I noticed the prevalence of sugary products and the omnipresence of one-dollar deals. This sparked my idea for a stop-motion project featuring iconic American sugary products – white glazed donuts, Peanut Butter Cups, and colorful cereals, symbols of the pervasive influence of sugar in American culture. Back in my modest AirBnB room, equipped with photo gear, I meticulously documented the products' transformation into three distinct stop-motion videos. The soundtrack featured a slowed-down rendition of Bruce Springsteen's "Born in the USA," providing an auditory link to American culture. This project captures the clash between the idealized Miami and its everyday reality, using familiar symbols to explore the impact of sugar on the American way of life.