iEXIST
iExist is a project I restart every two years, always on November the 25th. I first began iExist back in 2016 in Basel, and since then it has become a way for me to explore time, identity, and how technology shapes the way we connect — both with ourselves and with the world around us.
Every morning, I wake up, look out of my bedroom window, and take a photo with my Smartphone. It’s a simple routine — always the same act, but never quite the same picture. The light changes, the seasons shift — sometimes it’s foggy, sometimes sunny, sometimes beautiful clouds or just grey. And when I wake up somewhere else — during a trip — the view changes completely. Those moments become small exceptions that mark time and movement in my life.
Every single picture was taken with my iPhone — each one a simple morning glance out my window. Together, they create a rhythm — day after day, moment after moment — an ongoing record of presence.
For me, iExist is really about being here. Each picture is like a quiet way of saying: I’m here today. It’s about noticing, taking a breath before the day begins, and capturing that small instant of connection between the inside and the outside world. The window and the smartphone are my tools for that — one frames what I see, the other connects it to others. But the project also touches something bigger. Even though I’m not in the pictures — there are no selfies — it still deals with identity and exposure. When we share personal things online, we all step into this blurry space between private life and public display. We show little pieces of ourselves, while at the same time we look into the lives of others. There’s a kind of quiet, everyday voyeurism in that — one we all take part in, often without even noticing it.
The title iExist plays with Apple’s product names — iPhone, iPad — as a small nod to how technology shapes not just how we communicate, but also how we define who we are. It asks: what does “I” even mean today? How do we exist, both online and offline, in a world where we are constantly being seen?
iExist opens a small space for reflection — not only about my life, but maybe about yours too. It’s a gentle reminder that even in our fast, hyper-connected world, just stopping for a moment to really see can be enough.
Mariejon de Jong-Buijs
Basel, 2025