Review: WIGS SNATCHED, PERCEPTIONS DESTROYED, VAULT Festival

Erinn Dhesi invites her audience to an educated analysis of social media usage and consumption, its effects on perception and lifestyle, and how cultivating an identity has become a feasible female-centric career. She mainly focuses on Instagram and tackles the subject with flair and specificity, creating an anti-boomer show that's "rooted in academy".

In the "glorified lecture", the 3rd-generation immigrant discusses British Asian representation in the media and how sexuality is depicted online. From posing to elevating normal life to something unattainable, she breaks down method and delivery of content with the conscientiousness of an academic.

She is funny and entertaining as she dives into "celesbians" and microinfluencers with a PowerPoint presentation, assessing differences and itemising the different types of influencers and the natural development of their career paths. She mixes pure satire with active admiration for the process of building a marketable brand, which results in a peculiar approach to the material.

Dhesi investigates her own person as a case study to delineate how background and culture can be shaped and exploited. Her curious and refined tirade leads to a drastic change in tone towards the end. The hip and dynamic style of the start transmutes into subdued, almost defeated tones that uncover a deeper level of inadequacy and insecurity.

She denounces the distinct exploitation of British Asian identity from a certain type of online presence. While influencers are incorporating tradition in their everyday activities and mimicking their parents' accent for clout, she points out how activists are kicked out of platforms and racism is excused and supported.

With personal data being sold without our knowledge to privacy breaches, social media personalities turn a blind eye to the issues at the base of their relevancy. Dhesi's argument is well-calibrated, although it's - obviously - inexhaustive. Her stance is original when we consider the typical lights under which the matter is usually interpreted, driving her thesis with precision and investment.

Wigs Snatched, Perceptions Destroyed does exactly what it says on the tin. Dhesi lifts the veil on the trappings of the internet and explains how content creators are merely the product of a vicious circle that includes CEOs, capitalism, and even us as consumers.

Wigs Snatched, Perceptions Destroyed runs at VAULT Festival until 1 March.

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