A fine arts graduate is seeking to send a message about today’s society and social media through a portrait exhibition of how people show themselves as opposed to how they really are to “find truth in a world of lies”.

Marie Claire Farrugia’s MA research topic dealt with ‘post truth’, delving into how people choose their realities, and moved on to focus on social media, which provides the ‘optimal environment to proliferate lies’.

The portrait idea of Polymorphs was born from the fact that the same model could be looked at through two different lenses: the ‘real’ image, although still the artist’s view, and the filtered one.

The internet – the same platform that, on its introduction, promised accessible truth – is fertile ground for lies, and Farrugia is intrigued by the fact that even though social media clearly does not portray a true picture, so much of people’s self-worth is still tied into it.

“We see realities we know are not true and yet we accept them anyway,” Farrugia stressed.

“Taking selfies gives us control as we decide what the final image will look like – not the photographer, nor our friends. But the users have the opportunity to represent their version of their desired and current reality.

“When we see someone on social media, we immediately recognise the person and do not question that appearance. However, if we were to juxtapose that with their actual appearance, we would notice the difference,” Farrugia said.

In the case of the paintings, the sitter can still be identified in both cases, but when contrasted, the differences are again highlighted, she said.

We see realities we know are not true and yet we accept them

A number of the artist’s close friends agreed to sit for her, with some more pleased with the filtered version of the works and others preferring the ‘real’ one.

The artworks, consisting mainly of paintings and mixed media, are on display at the Phoenicia during August, and Farrugia hopes they will help viewers reflect on and question this “apathy towards truth and lies”.

Polymorphs, curated by Charlene Vella, is not just targeted at people who post selfies, Farrugia said, adding “we are all prey to lies, particularly those that reconfirm our natural bias”.

Her message through art about today’s society is that “we walk along a grey line... There is no clear truth or clear lie or good or bad or black or white…

“Now more than ever, I believe we get to pick our realities, and we justify them. We pick and choose anything that substantiates our truths.”

Farrugia maintains this is “leading us to be more individualistic. We are less open to listening to other’s realities. We form these cohorts and only connect with like-minded individuals.

“My impression is that our duty to the greater good and the greater community has slipped by the wayside.”

Art is successful if it provokes discussion as this leads to critical thinking, Farrugia insisted.

“And I believe we could all use more of this.”