The Yes men are a group that use modern technology to perform acts they refer to as "identity correction." They create websites that are identical or extremely similar to corporations with questionable ethics. Eventually they are mistaken for that company, and may be asked to appear in public or for speaking engagements.
They send one of their agents out, who proceeds to make statements that vilify, expose, or incriminate the company they supposedly represent. One of the most interesting aspects of what they do is the lack of response to the statements they make during any given performance. In the videos we watched in class, many of the people present at the lectures did not object to the increasingly ridiculous things being said.
Their goal is to generate awareness of corporate misconduct. Their stunts often parody the cruel and inhuman nature major corporations can develop towards consumers. They intentionally allow themselves to be mistaken for a company or figure, so they can portray them in a way they feel is more accurate.
I thought the videos were really funny. I thought it was amazing that the media, for example a major news network, would do such little research into their guests as to allow someone to lie their way onto the show. I like the fact that it's a guerilla operation with many operatives working together to generate awareness in a way that's powerful and extremely entertaining.
2.24.2009
Brian Knep Lecture
Brian Knep's lecture on his work was really interesting, especially the projects he's working on currently. It was interesting hearing him describe the various career paths he's had before becoming an artist. I wanted to hear more about his work in the special effects industry. He seemed really casual about working on Jurassic Park.
I liked hearing him talk about his projects, which are extremely organic and spontaneous looking, in the context of science and programming. A lot of his new work involves living organisms, such as nematodes and frogs. He seemed really passionate and interested in just the study and pursuit of scientific topics. He seemed full of ideas. For example, the idea that nematodes will remember where food is, or respond to heat, and ideas involving this knowledge came up during the discussion.
I liked hearing him talk about his projects, which are extremely organic and spontaneous looking, in the context of science and programming. A lot of his new work involves living organisms, such as nematodes and frogs. He seemed really passionate and interested in just the study and pursuit of scientific topics. He seemed full of ideas. For example, the idea that nematodes will remember where food is, or respond to heat, and ideas involving this knowledge came up during the discussion.
2.14.2009
Brian Knep
Brian Knep's work is really interesting. I really enjoy the interactivity of his pieces. Many of the pieces are dependent on people to activate them, or they wouldn't exist. I'd really like to try one out myself. I respond to work that responds to me.
A lot of his work, despite being based off of meticulously coded computer programs, seems to try to emulate or is inspired by organic life. The idea that the patterns on the ground grew back after being destroyed, but never exactly the same way, was interesting to watch. I forgot that it was technology. I am interested in his work that reacts to eye contact. I think my question would be how this technology is able to recognize a human face.
A lot of his work, despite being based off of meticulously coded computer programs, seems to try to emulate or is inspired by organic life. The idea that the patterns on the ground grew back after being destroyed, but never exactly the same way, was interesting to watch. I forgot that it was technology. I am interested in his work that reacts to eye contact. I think my question would be how this technology is able to recognize a human face.
New Media Artist
For my new media artist, I chose Eva and Franco Mattes, or 0100101110101101.org. They utilize current forms of technology as a medium. The majority of their projects incorporate the internet, and computer technology. They refer to themselves as 0100101110101101.org and don't reveal a lot of personal information about themselves.
Hybrids is an example of new technology being exploited creatively. The majority of the effects are created using HTML and javascript, which are very basic programming languages and weren't necessarily intended for creating graphic art.
One of the goals of the work, according to the artists, was "to make a statement on some of the main themes of digital art: the issues of reproducibility, authenticity and the sharing of knowledge." By using a mundane programming language and simply edited graphics, they've created work that is easily reproduced, but as a result authorship isn't immediately clear.
A spokesperson for the artists notes that "there is no creative aspect, because all pages work well together, and all the visuals and composition has been done for you. You may rearrange the segments of a source code, but that's just production work."
Biennale.py In 2001, for the Venice Biennale show, 0100101110101101.org and the epidemiC organization sucessfully programmed a relatively benign computer virus, named Biennale.py, and released it at the show's opening, June 6th 2001. An example of the virus is contained in the piece Perpetual Self Dis/Infecting Machine, where it perpetually attempts to infect a computer that isn't connected to any network. The virus was on display in 2004's I Love You rev.eng exhibit in Frankfurt, Germany, with other viruses. The artists expressed an interest in seeing "how the public, press and police respond to a peaceful virus."
I just like the idea that they created something that will multiply and stay on the internet forever.
Vopos
The Vopos project involved technology such as GPS locators, computers, telephones, and the internet. Both Eva and Franco Mattes made the majority of their lives accessible to the public via the internet and other sources, for one year. They wore GPS locators that plotted their location online. They made their private computers available, as they logged every telephone call made for one month of the project.
HYBRIDS
"Hybrids" is a collection of 31 works that the artists refer to as digital collages. They are essentially HTML documents, containing fragments of common, easily identifiable computer graphics and images. Some of them include forms or buttons that are common on most web pages, but they are useless or perform some random function. Each piece is connected to the following one, which lets the viewer start anywhere in the sequence and continue endlessly.Hybrids is an example of new technology being exploited creatively. The majority of the effects are created using HTML and javascript, which are very basic programming languages and weren't necessarily intended for creating graphic art.
One of the goals of the work, according to the artists, was "to make a statement on some of the main themes of digital art: the issues of reproducibility, authenticity and the sharing of knowledge." By using a mundane programming language and simply edited graphics, they've created work that is easily reproduced, but as a result authorship isn't immediately clear.
A spokesperson for the artists notes that "there is no creative aspect, because all pages work well together, and all the visuals and composition has been done for you. You may rearrange the segments of a source code, but that's just production work."
Biennale.py I just like the idea that they created something that will multiply and stay on the internet forever.
VoposEssay on Hybrids
Wired Magazine, 06/27/01 article on Biennale.py
Link to Biennale.py (you probably shouldn't click this).
VOPOS GPS Database
Second Life
Second life is a computer program developed by a company called Linden Labs. It's like a cross between a chatroom and the Sims. People who play Second Life are given the opportunity to create an avatar to represent themselves within the game's universe, which Linden Labs founder Philip Rosedale promotes as a place where anything is possible. I don't think anything will ever happen there.
I downloaded Second Life and played it for fifteen minutes. The Second Life world is portrayed with awful colors and big blocky shapes. Every structure I walked past was made out of awkwardly rendered polygons, and the hills kept blinking on and off while the computer was evaluating whether to render them or not.
I watched the interview with Philip Rosedale on Second Life. Second Life has a "population" of 12 million people. The website implied that I'd meet and interact with people from around the real world. Playing Second Life should have been a social experience.
I managed to talk to two people and then I went inside someone's house. The two people I talked to didn't have anything of interest to say, or they didn't want to talk to me. They talked to me using lazy AIM abbreviations. I wish I had chosen a girl avatar, because then people might have wanted to talk to me more.
It was a poor substitute for real interaction with other people. But I think for people who are socially underdeveloped, Second Life might be appealing. People who are shy, experience social anxiety, or are awkward in person might find communicating this way fascinating. The way you interact in Second Life is so limited and artificial, you really can't mess up unless you try.
I kept trying to mess up every time I had a conversation with someone. To me, knowing that I'm acting through a computer character makes me want to do and say things I would never do in the First Life. Since I knew there'd be no repercussions, I just harassed people.
When the internet first came out in the early nineties, my friend's dad had AOL. We'd go to random chatrooms with a made up screenname, and annoy people. The lack of any sort of consequence , and complete anonymity, makes you do and say things you never would in real life.
Second Life seems to emphasize this part of human behavior, as part of what makes it a world of limitless possibilites. It encourages people to exaggerate themselves, by allowing you to depict yourself however you want. This disguise is something a lot of people must perceive as liberating, but I think it just fosters laziness and self-indulgence.
Some people might like Second Life. The lack of consequence allows people to flirt and exaggerate with impunity. They may favor their character over themselves because of this. Rosendale's commented during the video that "we may eventually prefer our digital selves." This struck me as extremely misguided. You won't enjoy being your digital self more, you'll like being yourself less.
I downloaded Second Life and played it for fifteen minutes. The Second Life world is portrayed with awful colors and big blocky shapes. Every structure I walked past was made out of awkwardly rendered polygons, and the hills kept blinking on and off while the computer was evaluating whether to render them or not.
I watched the interview with Philip Rosedale on Second Life. Second Life has a "population" of 12 million people. The website implied that I'd meet and interact with people from around the real world. Playing Second Life should have been a social experience.
I managed to talk to two people and then I went inside someone's house. The two people I talked to didn't have anything of interest to say, or they didn't want to talk to me. They talked to me using lazy AIM abbreviations. I wish I had chosen a girl avatar, because then people might have wanted to talk to me more.
It was a poor substitute for real interaction with other people. But I think for people who are socially underdeveloped, Second Life might be appealing. People who are shy, experience social anxiety, or are awkward in person might find communicating this way fascinating. The way you interact in Second Life is so limited and artificial, you really can't mess up unless you try.
I kept trying to mess up every time I had a conversation with someone. To me, knowing that I'm acting through a computer character makes me want to do and say things I would never do in the First Life. Since I knew there'd be no repercussions, I just harassed people.
When the internet first came out in the early nineties, my friend's dad had AOL. We'd go to random chatrooms with a made up screenname, and annoy people. The lack of any sort of consequence , and complete anonymity, makes you do and say things you never would in real life.
Second Life seems to emphasize this part of human behavior, as part of what makes it a world of limitless possibilites. It encourages people to exaggerate themselves, by allowing you to depict yourself however you want. This disguise is something a lot of people must perceive as liberating, but I think it just fosters laziness and self-indulgence.
Some people might like Second Life. The lack of consequence allows people to flirt and exaggerate with impunity. They may favor their character over themselves because of this. Rosendale's commented during the video that "we may eventually prefer our digital selves." This struck me as extremely misguided. You won't enjoy being your digital self more, you'll like being yourself less.
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