Wordart

The current and potential social upheavals require adapted and unrestrictedly free forms of artistic communication. Against this background, the action described here is designed as an experiment to explore the degree of freedom and willingness to exchange ideas in public space. 

Current political developments and the possibility of far-reaching social upheaval highlight the need to explore flexible and unrestricted forms of artistic communication. Especially in times when established structures are being shaken or need to be renegotiated, art can use creative, subversive and participatory approaches to show new ways of exchange. Against this background, the action presented here is intended as an experiment to find out how far artistic freedom can be extended in public space and to what extent the participants are prepared to engage with unconventional forms of communication. Translated with DeepL.com (free version)

The central element is the placement of LED lights on competing artists, which are synchronized using a router as a source of information. 

This creates a visual network in which a single data or information provider sends the content to numerous LED panels. As soon as these signals are received, all units light up simultaneously and project an identical scrolling text. This coordinated process illustrates how networked communication works: the messages are compressed, passed on and presented in a modified form by a large number of recipients. This creates a symbol for the spread and reproduction of ideas or so-called memes, which can be particularly precarious in a restrictive environment, but also particularly effective.

The formulation of the content in the ticker aims to create a conceptual tension between visibility and abstraction. The messages, which only appear briefly, are openly accessible on the one hand, but require attention and context to be fully understood. They form a fleeting but impressive communication channel that - despite its subtlety - has a subversive potential. 

The subversive character of the action is particularly evident in the fact that it questions the boundaries between permitted and prohibited communication that exist in many parts of society. By technically reducing the content with the help of private individuals and communicating it via LED tickers, they bypass traditional control mechanisms or censorship instruments to a certain extent. Especially in a restrictive environment, this process can be a symbolic and effective strategy for making alternative messages publicly visible. The synchronization of the advertisements also points to the collective power of the participants, who together form a diffuse but constant flow of information.

Overall, the action represents an attempt to expand the boundaries of conventional communication as it is established in restrictive forms of society. It offers an open space for artistic reflection on the status of information, its distribution and reception as well as on the ability of art to make alternative forms of expression visible despite control mechanisms and repression. The action thus sees itself as an experimental exploration of artistic strategies that question the classic hierarchy of sender and receiver and create a participatory yet fleeting communication situation in public space.

In this work, it is already clear from the outset that everyone involved has their own interpretation of artistic freedom, which significantly shapes the reception and implementation of the action. It is precisely in the discussion of permitted or prohibited forms of communication in public space that it becomes clear how closely personal ideas of freedom can be linked to the concrete conditions of a restrictive society. The artistic intervention thus simultaneously becomes a mirror of individual attitudes: it questions the extent to which each individual is prepared to cross existing boundaries and open up new freedoms.