et al.: the social meaning of things
Title:
- the social meaning of things
Artist(s) and People Involved:
Exhibiting Artist(s):
Symposium:
- ISEA2008: 14th International Symposium on Electronic Art
- More artworks from ISEA2008:
Venue(s):
Creation Year:
- 2008
Medium:
- Network-based multi-media installation, sound
Art Event Overview:
Current work of the et al. collective is best summarised as a kind of archiving of societal events and issues, aspects of which are explored through immersive installation environments that engage with issues of global political inter- (or hyper-) activity, fundamentalisms, and belief systems. The collective’s practice evokes the closed and secretive dimensions of global communication, information, and transport networks, and to this end the social meaning of things deploys tools such as synthesised speech, political sound bites and aleatoric scripting, reconstructed Google Earth visuals and advertising hoardings and noticeboards. et al.’s scenario both informs and excludes the viewer. the social meaning of things is embedded in the political flows that create, maintain, and permeate nations and borders.