Location
Chicago
Date
1 July 2019
Status
Awarded
Client
wndr
JOKE awarded third place in competition for installation at wndr Museum
JOKE’s proposal for a new immersive experience at wndr peels back the phenomenon behind the culture of contemporary social media. In a world where vending machine dispenses instant likes and people across Asia are paid to like photos in what can only be described as a sweatshop for the modern age, click farms exploit cheap labour to manufacture likes for paying customers to suit different needs; from a boost to holiday photos up to the election of a president.
The design starts with one single cell phone, repeated in a circular installation to represent the endless scale adopted at click farms. The phones are hung from the ceiling like a digital chandelier, creating a digital canvas each individually tuned to the Instagram screen. The screen is then refreshed at set intervals to create an animated canvas, with the rate of refresh programmed to create eye-catching animations. The aesthetics derives from the statement on the pooling of resources.
On the inside of the installation are descriptions and photos of click farm conditions and impact, mirroring the glamour and excitement on the outer ring. The installation becomes both a visual attraction and an expose on the conditions driving the social media phenomenon.
wndr is a museum in Chicago dedicated to immersive art. With a self-described mission to provoke curiosity, challenge perception and ignite the sixth sense of wonder, wndr is an example of what a museum could be in the 21st century. It’s collection includes works by Richard Prince, Barbara Kruger, Alex Israel and Yayoi Kusama.
JOKE 