The Network
Social Media as Modern Performance Art
What is art? I think that the definition is different for each person, basically boiling down to how the viewer reacts to a piece. Art, in my opinion, is not so much an object as it is an object (the work) and subject (the viewer); the viewer does not just view the art, their interpretation and reaction to the piece is an essential part of it, and in this lies the key difference between an object and a piece of art.
I believe art should engage the subject in the object in a way that encourages a deeper investigation of both.
The tools we use shape us as much as we shape them, a person who wields a hammer to drive nails becomes a carpenter, an individual wielding a gun may be transformed into a shooter. Social networks are extremely complex and fascinating tools, we use them to achieve an end largely unaware of how they act on us, dramatically transforming our lives and behavior. On the surface when I use The Network I think of it as staying in touch with friends while sharing interesting events in my life, and to a degree this certainly holds true. However I think that what the social network actually becomes when exposed to the human condition is the intersection of the everyday and the spectacle; a grand stage driven by our desire to consume, contribute, and be entertained every waking minute. The Network becomes a gigantic piece of collaborative performance art, with each actor behaving according to their understanding of their identity and the social norms regulating discourse in the medium. Through its use, The Network transforms its subjects into performers.
Individuals are drawn to The Network, as with any social structure, initially under the pretense of building and maintaining connections. This intention soon gives way to the use of The Network as a means of entertainment, we seek its spectacle as an escape from the everyday. This spectacle is both personalized and intimate, with lead roles played by representations of our friends and associates. This personal connection differentiates it from more traditional forms of mass culture, making it incredibly familiar and accessible. The individual is given access to a powerful tool under the auspices of contributing by sharing their daily life, however our daily lives do not compare to carefully constructed spectacle moments and images hand picked from the lives of people we know. Because of this constant comparison, the tool is soon set to the task of narrating our own personal spectacle. The Network has us documenting our lives, combing through the mass of material to present our own version of it, ruthlessly discarding anything that disagrees with our idea of who we should be. Through this mechanism of comparison and coercion The Network becomes self propagating.
An interesting tool gives rise to a fascinating network, a collaborative cultural production which propagates through the gentle coercion of its subjects. I think The Network when regarded as a single entity represents the most complete interpretation of the societal moment that exists in contemporary society, with more than a seventh of humanity contributing to it.
What can a body of work with such a widespread and dramatically transformative effect over society be called if not art? After all we are all our artistic interpretations of ourselves on The Network, actor and director in the role of our lives.
