Power. Modern power. Technological power. Communicative power. Individual power. Anonymity.

 

What is this new power and how are we engaging with it? Is it even that powerful?

 

Digital technology and the Internet have provided us with an endless array of public communication platforms. However, through its loss of tangible time and space, digital communication has altered the traditional production / consumption paradigm of language. 

 

ACCArt (Augmented Collaboration of Contemporary Art) functions as a real-time exploration into this disruption. Through a direct comparison between online communication and the ACCA building’s affinity to graffiti, parallels become evident. Both the building and the internet exist as large, blank, inscribable canvases, that exhibit privacy or perceived privacy within public space. Translated to an app experience, individuals are provided with a platform to question this anonymity and power of public voice. Participation in the app also draws attention to why people are inclined to create endless digital content, similar to street artists tagging physical space.

 

As the app functions, a unique visualisation of this endless accumulation of digital data is created. Juxtaposing this with the nature of graffiti, the repercussions of digital permanent presence arise. Even though each contribution represents an expression of individual power, the limitation of space begins to force content to collide. As the digital environment continues to saturate, the power of voice is progressively challenged as its meaning and agency becomes temporal. Therefore, even though acting to empower individuals, the app is also questioning the scope of this power and our relationship with digital media.