Inbetweenness

Jite Agbro Inbetweenness

2023 series Exhibit

Concept background 

This series explores how isolation— both structural social isolation and personal experiences of solitude— affects our relationship with society. Specifically, I’m interested in the ways being and feeling alone plays out in public, where we have choice to conform, ignore, or defy societal expectations.

Conventional social practices of acceptance and rejection can trigger a sense of isolation in individuals who cannot naturally adhere to established social norms. These invisible rules, codes, or expectations are expressed in countless ways, whether through outward appearance, expected behaviors or religious beliefs. Structural social isolation is more pronounced in societies where norms have become entrenched and are thus less responsive to the ever- shifting standards of a society that demands change.

In times of transition, we may find ourselves psychologically wrestling with our ability to accept the modification of an established norm. Depending on the rigidity of our societies or our own personal leanings, we can become disoriented in realizing a new norm has already been established, or that an old convention has been uprooted. Under these circumstances, we might crave consistency or stability, all the things human beings are not blessed to enjoy. Norms have the most profound effect on our public selves— our social behaviors and rituals. It is in public that we decide to conform to or betray these unwritten rules. It is the public’s opinion that deems us worthy of group participation or segregation. It is our public dealings (our circumstances) that allow us to bear witness to the lives of others, their failures and successes. Our familiarity with public life is what ultimately determines how we are see according to others, and in some cases, how we see ourselves.

The knowledge of human systems is passed down through this “public intimacy.” It is through communal experiences that we begin to understand our right whether or not to conform, but this can also breed detachment. The more intimate we are with our understanding of society, the more we feel alienated from it..