WeTube opened on April 25th, 2024.
The group content watching event took place at Chains Cut Concept. Attendees gathered to experience two hours of public YouTube submissions, curated by Chains.
Fig.A) Pamphleteer Route
Here’s Why—
Social Media is an expressive outlet for the masses, providing an opportunity to publish and connect from anywhere in the world. The problems with social media—fake news, propaganda, demagoguery, and the manipulation of human behavior for profit—are caused by the corporations that own them.
As a concept, YouTube represents access and freedom. But, the reality is that most users are trapped in doom-scrolls of short term, dopamine-driven feedback loops. This is because the technology is designed to impede real connection, community and discussion, and control users within an echo chamber of their own behaviors and interests.
As a form of curatorial activism, on April 20th, 2024, Chains handed out 300 self-printed fliers to the public of Hamilton, Ontario. Through a 11.9 km walk (see fig. A), the artist engaged with everyone willing to talk to her along the way.
What Happened—
Both the flier and each personal interaction, invited the public to submit a YouTube video (of no specific criteria) using an online form. The purpose was explicit—to resist the algorithm that controls our content viewing experience online.
In the act of video submission and event participation, the contributor was challenged to reflect on their own data profile, and the content it limits/serves to them.
In the role of pamphleteer and video curator, Chains engaged and collaborated with the public to establish a critical dialogue around digital art and social media. In the one-on-one conversations (during the flier distribution, and at the event reception) many topics were discussed.
Chains documented these exchanges—taking notes and categorizing them into the following topics: Definition of digital art; Concern of insular worldviews; Social media as a cause of loneliness; Data profiling and the segregation of minorities and marginalized communities; Extremism online (in particular, white supremacy and the Donald Trump elections); Monetization and compulsive consumption; Fake news and fear; and Algorithmic domination.
Between the dates of April 20th, and the morning of April 25th, 37 videos were submitted. The content ranged from sports footage to music videos, short films, cooking tutorial, interviews, retro commercials, parody, scientific education, discussion, animation, voyeurism, self-documentation, video poetry, VFX, television clips, fashion shows, conceptual art, demonstration, and more.
You may view the video compilation here.
Now What—
As a curatorial debut, Chains chose to abandon the practice of her established methods and materials, in order to merge with the public through collaboration. The result was collective activism, which informed the artist’s ongoing dialectic approach. Watch this space for more curatorial development from Chains, within the Chains Cut Concept space.
Feedback, questions, comments and information sharing are encouraged. You are very welcome to send Chains an email to begin a dialogue to discuss WeTube, or anything at all.