Transcoding the Aesthetics of Activism

(Short paper)

Keywords: Interactive Art, Aesthetics, Code Literacy, Activism.

The Aesthetics of Activism (2014) is an artwork that aggregates visual material from social networks into image and video collages. Visitors within an interactive zone can explore playback and correlation between images. The authors’ approach to transcoding aesthetically is grounded in their interpretation of both design and theatrical practices. They provide a detailed analysis of the artwork’s operation boundaries (e.g. spatial layout and themed structure) to support insight into the new roles and processes employed to translate code and aesthetics. Their approach to transcoding is a process that undermines the commercial platforms that rank, sort and filter the information on the Internet. Rather than enact document agency the artwork demonstrates the artistry required to transcode the representation of real world activism.