Internet Artists Protest Industry Elitism By Augmenting Reality at MoMA
Art

Internet Artists Protest Industry Elitism By Augmenting Reality at MoMA

In one of the best examples of guerrilla art in recent memory, an artist collective has set about protesting exclusivity in the art scene by taking over the Jason Pollock room of MoMA without permission... kind of.

After downloading eponymously-named app MoMAR, visitors were able to view the show (titled Hello, we're from the Internet) as the collective intended: with each Pollock piece covered in swirls with video game-like animation or integrated with other Internet-related pop-ups. Some of the paintings became interactive, while others took the appearance of an Instagram story, captioned with the words, "PAINTERS BLOCK!!!"

"If we are to understand that art is the great measure of culture we must also acknowledge it is owned, valued and defined by 'the elite,'' the group's website reads. "We must also recognize that the term 'open to the public' is not an invitation but a declaration of values. Values that are not our own."

Motherboardreports that the exhibit's security seemed confused by attendees' use of the app, but otherwise didn't interfere. The artists also came equipped with computers to download the app directly onto viewers' phones, literally claiming their space at the famous museum.

"It's funny, because even people who were just visiting MoMA seem to primarily experience the work through the lens on their phones by taking selfies or photos of the work," Gabriel Barcia-Colombo told Motherboard. "Our AR work added an extra layer of digitization by hacking the pre-existing work to reveal the work of artists who are experimenting with a new form."

"I think he [Pollock] would appreciate it," another artist said. "He was far out there."

Check out the video from the show, below.

Image via Vimeo