BUREAU of CHANGE brought our Micro Internet Yami Ichi, in a black cloud-inspired interface, to the Internet Yami-ichi NY 2 on November 6, 2016 at the Knockdown Center in Queens, New York.
Our goal was to spread light to the people on the beautiful dangers of the internet. BUREAU analytics show that that we reached that goal. We broke the internet, ate the misfortunes, cut the money, blocked the popups and didn’t give a f–k.
“My fear was that I would get lost, and that no one would ever hear from me again.”—InfraRedd, cloud operator and network security, BUREAU of CHANGE
“The energy was busy, the people were colorful, and the projects were cutting edge.”—Steven, cloud interface maker, BUREAU of CHANGE
It wasn’t all beats and bruises though, as we also sold scented retweet hearts. And after all, the people really needed them; we sold out.
At the BUREAU of CHANGE cloud interface, there was a lighthearted yet comical feel about it all. It was like window shopping, and Yami-ichi shoppers were scared but those who engaged with our black cloud market discovered so much more than tangible products.
One thing we sold was a wish. Participants inserted a dollar into the cloud to get amazing things. Gloved hands reached out of the cloud then pixelated the USD with shredder scissors and returned it to it’s owner. Some people were concerned about the legality of destroying the dollar. We anticipated this, so we had attorney services on hand to ease consumer concerns. Compared to the sadistic commercialism we engage in everyday on the internet, destroying the dollar seemed innocuous.
Logan Blake created a T-shirt that gave you a message to give a f–k. We’ve all been there, working on something important and there it goes, press “OK” to continue. What if you don’t want to say okay? What if you just want to say f–k? We thought this was a lighthearted way to show our dismay towards the “OK” button.
Image credit: Installation view, BUREAU of CHANGE, Amazing Grace (ft. Barack Obama), in Louisiana Contemporary at the Ogden Museum of Southern Art, 2016 (left); Old Glory Holes and Pussy Riot by Dan Tague (right)
John D’Addario talks to curator Bill Arning, Director of the Contemporary Arts Museum Houston about top picks, including BUREAU’s Amazing Grace, for Louisiana Contemporary, which A’ddario defines as “the Southern-inflected version of New York City’s Whitney Biennial: an opportunity to examine the currents of the regional art scene through the lens of a particular curatorial eye.”
Arning says what he calls the “unlikely relevance of abstraction” and “obsessiveness and the power of accumulation” are two more common themes which links several of the works on display.
With dozens of works by nearly 50 artists, there’s a lot to take in. But Arning has some advice for visitors wanting to make the most of their visit to the show.
“Take the time to watch the two longish videos,” said Arning. “Both Xavier Juarez and Adrione Domino are gifted filmmakers and use their performers for great emotional effect.”
“BUREAU of CHANGE’s short video comments on the hope and frustrations of the Obama years, in which the president’s inspiring voice is countered by the horror of so many young black men either killed or incarcerated. On a more positive note, Paul Rizzo, Max Sizeler, Peter Horjus, Brian Barbieri, Chris Berntsen and Arthur Severio depict the joy of queer lives today and exploring so many new possibilities.”
“I have just endured one of the largest trolling attacks in history. And I have just been blessed with the most astonishing human responses to that attack.” – Ellen Pao
#THANKYOUELLENPAO
Installation View, BUREAU of CHANGE: Taking Care of Trees, 2012
Commissioned by Duke University Center for Advanced Hindsight for the exhibition Restraining Order: The Art of Self-Control, December 14th, 2012 – February 22nd, 2013
Duke University’s Center for Advanced Hindsight acquired work from BUREAU of CHANGE’s Taking Care of Trees project for it’s collection. Dan Ariely, behavioral economist, founder of the Center and also a popular TED talker and NYT best-selling author, explains the social implications BUREAU’s work:
“In this project, the artists challenge the buyers of the art with a self-control exercise. With a purchase, the buyers not only receive a piece of beautiful art, but they get to contribute to the earth by raising a tree. But with this comes accountability, as the artists require ongoing proof that the tree is alive and well. But, how long will the warm glow last? Will the exchange be as rewarding after four or five years? Long after the art has been lost or broken, the buyer may feel less enthusiastic about caring for their seedling as the initial joy of goodwill fades and the responsibility sets in.”
MORE ON TED: Dan Ariely shows how and why human brains are predictably irrational
About the Center for Advanced Hindsight: The central goal of the Center for Advanced Hindsight is to develop great insights (in hindsight) about an extensive and diverse set of research projects. As a non-discriminating institution, its work examines published as well as unpublished work, and the work of researchers of all ranks. Of course, this involvement is restricted to work conducted by unaffiliated researchers, as this kind of intimate scientific inquiry by its members would be too dangerous. Needless to say, all aforementioned work is done retrospectively. One might even go as far as saying “in hindsight.” The sole responsibility of members is to critique the work of others and comment on the obvious intuitiveness and predictability of the results. In fact, there is no “ground-breaking” research that comes as a surprise to the brilliant minds of the Center. The initiation process to become an official member of the center requires an oath of commitment to apathy and absurdity.
