speculative art
Tatlin's Tower
Known formally as the Monument to the Third Internationale, the tower was designed by Vladimir Tatlin in 1919, following Russia’s Bolshevik Revolution. It reflected the utopian hopes in the wake of toppling the former government. Ironically enough, it was this unrestrained enthusiasm for the future that became the Tower’s downfall. Tatlin’s designs for the structure and its proposed material proved too ambitious for the USSR’s abysmal economy. It stalled and became an unintentionally speculative project that was never realized in its ultimate form.
Orlan
ORLAN is a contemporary French artist known for her performances involving plastic surgery. She refers to her transformations as “carnal art,” seeking through her surgeries to challenge notions of not only beauty, but morality, and the purpose of the human body. She seeks to draw attention to the fabrication of beauty, and what happens in the presence and absence of it. Her work is speculative in the rhetorical question inherent in her transformations: what would our world mean and look like if people were “liberated” from even the most basic cultural norms. Her work speaks of a future that transcends all levels of aesthetic tradition and normality. ORLAN uses her performances to redefine the role of the artist, the art object, and Nature itself.
Mark Lundin
Make Our Mark is an online sculpture created by Mark Lundin that collects actions and responses from Twitter and Instagram input to answer the question “who are we?” This speculative work creates a journey of infinite perspectives through an exploration of self-identity and each contributor take part in this global happening. Each form takes unique shape and color depending on each individual’s varying content and messages, and is a cumulative combination of the human emotions and reactions shared on the Internet.
websiteIs the internet dead??? :(
Essena O'neill
Instagram has become an outlet for personal expression and a window into our candid, personal lives. Social media platforms like Instagram have allowed us to curate an image of ourselves that we want the world to see, and what we would like to see ourselves. Sorbet colored Sunsets, immaculate smoothie bowls, brunch, and selfies in front of the Mona Lisa.Naturally, authenticity comes into question. From “catfish” to photo editing apps. Reality in the age of the Internet is always questioned. How does this framework shape our society now?
Virtual Reality P0rn
The Virtual Porn Experience is produced by Naughty America, a company that has created porn for virtual reality headsets. This exemplifies the Internet’s sprawl from the digital realm into reality. The act of sex is inherently not reproducible, and this calls into question issues of authenticity of experience and image. Is the video experience a representation of real life or does it live in a world of its own? This embodies the idea that the Internet is “undead, and it’s everywhere,” even the most private and intimate corners of our lives.
Drake's "hotline bling"
With the refinement of the digital coding and design programs, our technology looks sleeker, smaller and more precise than ever. But there is an reemergence of the choppy, messy internet art of the early 90s, and an encouragement for all, artists and non-artists, to participate. With the refinement of the digital coding and design programs, our technology looks sleeker, smaller and more precise than ever. But there is an reemergence of the choppy, messy internet art of the early 90s, and an encouragement for all, artists and non-artists, to participate. An example of this is the music video for Drake's song "Hotline Bling" which went viral on almost every social media platform. Examples of these are located on the the social media icons section to the left.
Game Instructions:
The purpose of the exercise is to get people actively involved in the process of thinking outside the box, in a casual, fun way. By questioning our fundamental assumptions about an object, challenge, or situation — in this case, a beach ball — we can begin to speculate beyond traditional use and classification. The game begins when the initiator says, “this is not a beach ball” and throws the ball into the group. From here, each person has 3 seconds to name an alternative use for the object — a pillow, a garden tool, and food container, etc. If the buzzer sounds before they can name anything, the person is “out.” Once someone has named a new use for the object, they may throw the ball to anyone in the group who has not been counted out. The winner of the game is the last one standing. They get a donut. And then everyone else gets a donut too.
