Self-scapes 

A Reflection on Self-Perception

Conceptual photography: series of performative self-portraits. Independent project, 2024

In a Prague gym locker room, there exists a peculiar mirror at the end of one aisle—a space where thousands of self-portraits have been captured. The quiet, mundane setting between brown lockers has become an irresistible backdrop for countless gym-goers. Here, bodies and faces, framed by the space’s simple furnishings and lighting, are immortalized in selfies shared across social media.

In this project, the author uses the familiar theme of the gym selfie to challenge and reframe the norm. By constructing her own self-portraits in this space, she aims to shift focus away from the physical self and toward a deeper engagement with the environment. She mimic poses from religious iconography and introduce unexpected elements, intentionally drawing attention away from her own features and turning the entire composition into a narrative.

Self-scape is a visual conversation between creator, subject, and viewer—a story unfolding in this space, where self-image is no longer passive, but participatory. Unlike the seductive nature of a traditional selfie, this project invites the audience to play an intellectual game, prompting reflection on how we see and present ourselves.

The work exists between anthropology and scenography. It documents not just a body, but a behavior: the silent, often private act of image-making in spaces designed for transformation—physical, social, and digital. Drawing on visual references from historical self-portraiture, religious iconography, and the aesthetics of contemporary selfies, the artist inhabits the role of both observer and participant.

Each image is a quiet performance. The gym, a hypermodern temple of the body, becomes a stage. The body becomes a prop. The camera—a tool of self-mythology.  It speaks to the choreographies of self-presentation and the ritualized aesthetics of being seen today.

In a time where self-documentation is constant but rarely self-aware, Self-scapes pauses the scroll to ask:

What do we really see when we look at ourselves looking?