Oh G: G-Art at Basel
It’s hard to describe the kind of work that’s around. It’s thick and colorful, and there’s a lot of it. It has something in common- you can’t quite place your finger on it; but it has something to do with Google.
“G-Art.” That’s what I’ve decided to call it. G, as in G-for-Google, but multiplied and spread to other, infinite G’s. It’s an art that is fully G-lobalized; G-ender-savvy; G-ory; G-reen (trendily); all about the G’s (money); a response to our ideas about G-od (as always) – seen through and made by Google Eyes. And by Google Eyes I mean a system by which we take-in information, in layers and all at once, and then only with time do we start to filter it - this is the way we see the world today, and hence art – through a process of overwhelming sensation and information that we then begin to put together. Just like running a Google search. No answers – just a lot of options. No truths, just a lot of truths.
These Google Eyes – we can see them in a number of artist’s work: Sirous Namazi, for instance – who’s playing with that good-old grid (digitized this time) -- just to name one.
http://www.artnet.com/artist/423895634/sirous-namazi.html
And, what about the brilliant Xu Zhen: ShanghART Supermarket
http://www.shanghartgallery.com/galleryarchive/exhibition.htm?exbId=1519
This is literally a 24 hour mini-mart replicated for our thought and pleasure here at Art Basel Miami Beach. You can buy everything in the mart, except it’s all empty – empty shells of coca-cola and chinese goodies. It’s a gimmick, but it’s smart. And touches upon all of the above-mentioned G’s. The prices are in Yen (but ask one of the cashiers and in five seconds flat she’ll tell you how to convert it into dollars).
more later. Too much to see, too little time.
It’s hard to describe the kind of work that’s around. It’s thick and colorful, and there’s a lot of it. It has something in common- you can’t quite place your finger on it; but it has something to do with Google.
“G-Art.” That’s what I’ve decided to call it. G, as in G-for-Google, but multiplied and spread to other, infinite G’s. It’s an art that is fully G-lobalized; G-ender-savvy; G-ory; G-reen (trendily); all about the G’s (money); a response to our ideas about G-od (as always) – seen through and made by Google Eyes. And by Google Eyes I mean a system by which we take-in information, in layers and all at once, and then only with time do we start to filter it - this is the way we see the world today, and hence art – through a process of overwhelming sensation and information that we then begin to put together. Just like running a Google search. No answers – just a lot of options. No truths, just a lot of truths.
These Google Eyes – we can see them in a number of artist’s work: Sirous Namazi, for instance – who’s playing with that good-old grid (digitized this time) -- just to name one.
http://www.artnet.com/artist/423895634/sirous-namazi.html
And, what about the brilliant Xu Zhen: ShanghART Supermarket
http://www.shanghartgallery.com/galleryarchive/exhibition.htm?exbId=1519
This is literally a 24 hour mini-mart replicated for our thought and pleasure here at Art Basel Miami Beach. You can buy everything in the mart, except it’s all empty – empty shells of coca-cola and chinese goodies. It’s a gimmick, but it’s smart. And touches upon all of the above-mentioned G’s. The prices are in Yen (but ask one of the cashiers and in five seconds flat she’ll tell you how to convert it into dollars).
more later. Too much to see, too little time.
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