Thought I would let everyone have a look at my initial proposal for my current project. This is a really long module that lasts all the way until the end of term, so it warrants a fairly detailed and deep subject.
If you have time, have a read and let me know what you think.
Feedback helps more than you know!
Exodus.
“You and I may not join them in this choice. Regardless, their exodus, because of its sheer size, will affect us all.” Edward Castronova 2007.
Virtuality is something that concerns us all. Even if you have managed to avoid the onset of the digital revolution, some aspect of it has likely already affected your existence. Virtual reality is often associated with 3D headsets and laboratories filled with screens and speakers but in truth it is not purely science that has led the way in creating entire new worlds. Entertainment companies have stealthily formed their own realities and persuaded millions of people to leave the physical world behind for hours at a time. These newly formed populations live in constructed worlds, designed specifically to appeal to our human nature. The virtual worlds are modelled after the physical, containing thousands of other citizens, complex trade economies and have even developed their own language.
Not all online worlds are based on gaming, the worldwide phenomenon that is Facebook and all the other social networking tools, have started a revolution that blurs the line between virtual and physical relationships. They have changed the way millions communicate and maintain friendships, yet I see social networking in the same vein as persistent online games. It’s a means to exist digitally and away from the outside world.
I named this project Exodus in reference to Edward Castronova’s book “Exodus to the virtual world” Castronova is a doctor of economics and studies social interactions with virtual worlds and their relation to the “real world.” This connection between the virtual and the physical may seem un-important but when you consider the effect of millions of hours disappearing into the unreal, it suddenly becomes an issue worth our attention.
My goal is not to explore or represent these virtual worlds but to visually address the effect they may have on our physical reality, feelings and relationships. I agree with Castronova’s predictions of a huge change in society as virtual worlds become more and more popular. In economics it has long been agreed that people flock to the things that are fun and cheap. Virtual worlds are exactly this. What I want to express in this work is the world and body that is left behind. The mind may be entertained in another reality but the real world and body still remain on the outside.
My work will be constructed to be a representation of what is left behind. My imagery will consist of humans interacting with computers. (windows to the virtual world) How I direct the models to react with the computers will be the key to expressing my ideas. I may even incorporate landscapes to help create the sense that what we are looking at is a shell, an unwanted and abandoned body that is not relevant to the mind’s reality.
I will also attempt to put this in a social context. This is important, as one of the key reasons for the online world’s effectiveness is the social experience it offers.
I hope this work will question what the current state of social interaction is and if our virtual existence is at the expense of the physical.
