The confessional stands at the juncture between public and private, physical and spiritual. Iconic symbol of the Catholic church, used and abused in popular culture, laughable or sinister. Confession demands that the penitent open up her or his deepest secrets to the priest, who listens, hidden, absorbing tales of failure massive or mundane, wielding the power to absolve sin and assign penance. Our confessional blends tradition and modernity, facing our multi-national, multi-religious penitents with this familiar idiom revised for a changing urban cityscape. Confession is taken by a digital avatar priest, trapped in a flat screen, and asking them to reveal, not sins, but everyday truths. Their work, their past, their dreams. Our priest does not deal in absolution, does not claim to wipe the slate clean, but merely listens. And while listening, records, capturing on video intimate private moments, revealed truths and the lonely public displays of a video diary, youtube society. The project aims to entice and amuse, drawing out modern confessions from the global audience that passes through Island 6, and capturing on tape the flow of personalities, histories, ideas and futures through the gallery space.

Shang Hairen steps into the confessional. He sits down, unknowingly tripping a switch, selecting at random one of the five interview programs held on the computer in the priest's chamber. Behind the grill, a flat pannel screen lights up, and Father Rose, the digital priest, opens his eyes and looks up...
Father Rose: My child, I'm sorry, I thought the congregation had left, how long has it been since your last confession?
Shang (smirking): Well, I'm not a Catholic, and I've never confessed before. So, at least 27 years I guess.
Father Rose (with the deadpan expression of a machine): Wonderful. It is lovely to meet such a pious child. But you look tired my child, did you go out late last night? What were you doing?
Shang (enjoying Father Rose's relaxed manner): Well, do you think that 5a.m. is late? In Shanghai it's quite early. (He looks at the screen as if expecting an instant answer, but realizing it is just a computer after all, carries on). I went out to dinner at dapaidang, a cheap place near my home, with a couple of friends, at about 9p.m. (Father Rose is nodding and smiling back, encouraging him to talk more) We had a beer there and then walked over to Party World. We met up with a load of other people there, some people had brought their own whisky, because we went AA. We had some fun, we sang a bit, drank a bit, chatted up the girls.
Father Rose: (Raising a beautifully plucked eyebrow) Yes, my child, you have the face of someone who knows how to have fun. Tell me more about these things...