“One-Hour Smile” consists of a series of videos taken
every ten years beginning in 1995. Each video
features myself staring into the camera and smiling as
hard as I can for one hour uninterrupted and
documents the inevitable break down of this gesture.
This piece was created in response to the posturing
and socializing I observed in social settings and the
inauthenticity of the masks we wear to engage within
them. It's a piece about empathy, self-awareness, and
how as social animals we learn how to read one
another. This work is ongoing and will be completed
only upon my passing. This current iteration
completed in January 2026 was the first time I
performed the piece live on instagram. The
emotional connection between me and the instagram
audience in palpable. It is at once 100% private and public.
charley friedman, copyright