Fluids — A Happening (1967)

Allan Kaprow

Happenings: FLUXUS proposals that created particular frames for events to unfold within. Usually with sets of directions like Allan Kaprow’s Fluids, where the work exists at numerous levels: the idea behind the poster, the poster itself, the enlisting of volunteers, the actions of those gathered, and the object result of it.

wwwwwwwww.jodi.org (1999)

JODI

“Jodi pioneered Web art in the mid-1990s. Jodi were among the first artists to investigate and subvert conventions of the Internet, computer programs and video and computer games. Radically disrupting the language of these systems, including interfaces, commands, errors and code, JODI stages extreme digital interventions that destabilize the relationship between computer technology and its users.” — net-art.org

Blackness For Sale (2001)

Mendi + Keith Obadike

“In August 2001, Mendi + Keith Obadike placed Keith’s ‘blackness’ up for auction on eBay.com in the site’s ‘Black Americana’ category. The listing included no image, only a lengthy description of the ‘Benefits and Warnings’ of the item. The winning bidder would receive a certificate of authenticity.” — Rhizome NetArt Archive

Somebody (2014–2015)

Miranda July

“When you send your friend a message through Somebody, it goes — not to your friend — but to the Somebody user nearest your friend. This person (likely a stranger) delivers the message verbally, acting as your stand-in. The most high-tech part of Somebody is not in the phone, it’s in the users who dare to deliver a message to a stranger. Half-app / half-human, Somebody is a far-reaching public art project that incites performance and twists our love of avatars and outsourcing — every relationship becomes a three-way. The antithesis of the utilitarian efficiency that tech promises, here, finally, is an app that makes us nervous, giddy, and alert to the people around us.”

Level of Confidence (2015)

Rafael Lozano-Hemmer

“Level of Confidence is an art project to commemorate the mass kidnapping of 43 students from the Ayotzinapa normalista school in Iguala, Guerrero, Mexico. It was released on March 26, 2015, exactly six months after the kidnapping took place. The project consists of a face-recognition camera that has been trained to tirelessly look for the faces of the disappeared students.”

“As you stand in front of the camera, the system uses algorithms to find which student’s facial features look most like yours and gives a ‘level of confidence’ on how accurate the match is, in percent.”

“The project software is available for free download so that any university, cultural centre, gallery or museum can set-up the piece and exhibit it.”

b r 3

Pippin Barr

“There are 1.8446744e+19 possible 8×8 one bit images! But only some of them look like water! Here are 24 of them! Hand crafted, refreshing water! Everywhere! But not a drop to drink! b r 3 is a remake of my water gallery v r 3 in the Bitsy game maker.”

Everything (2018)

David OReilly

“Whoever you are, whatever you are and wherever you are, you’re in the middle — that’s the game.” — Alan Watts

“Everything is an interactive experience and reality simulation game. There is no right or wrong way to play, and each person’s game will be different. Playing Everything involves traveling through the Universe and seeing it from different points of view; it has elements of role playing games, sandbox and simulation. The systems connecting the game are designed to create moments of peace, beauty, sadness and joy — and allow the player to do whatever they want. Everything requires no player input — it will play automatically if left unattended.”