“DEL-L-AWARE”—an everyday scene transformed into a work of art. A BIOS update runs on a Dell desktop computer, and with two simple modifications, a screenshot becomes an ambiguous image. The first change involves removing the DELL logo from its circular frame, extending it with “AWARE,” and placing this newly formed word beneath the circle. The second change replaces the emptied circle with the Delaware state seal. This substitution reinforces the new term, which—regardless of spelling—references the U.S. state of Delaware. The image’s meaning shifts depending on how viewers parse the text. If “DELL” and “AWARE” are read as one unit, the message becomes “Delaware updating your firmware”; if seen as separate elements, it reads “DELL aware updating your firmware.” Both interpretations address the firmware update, but attribute the action to different agents.

The photograph captures a screenshot of a running update process which has been slightly altered. The central theme is investigated through three dimensions: visual, textual, and auditory.