Smithsonian magazine's 22nd Annual Photo Contest | Made possible through the support of MPB.com

18th Annual Smithsonian Magazine Photo Contest People
Self Portrait with QR Codes.

Whether I was aware of it or not, my ideals of race and identity were shaped by and linked through social media content. This image titled Scan It unravels my experience of being abused, marginalized, and dismantled on social media. I investigate the ways our identities have been connected to societal expectations by combining self-portraiture within QR codes. From scanning, connecting, and alternatively isolating, I regard these QR codes as a representation of the unsearchable status that was not afforded equally to those I loved.

Photo Detail
Date Taken: 10.2020
Date Uploaded: 11.2020
Photo Location: Shanghai, China
Copyright: © Michelle Sijia Ma