NET.ART
I understand that net.art refers to art on the internet as a physical space, encompassing artistic expressions that utilize the various protocols and possibilities enabled by the internet. This art form gained popularity in the 1990s with the widespread adoption of the internet. Similar to other artistic contexts, creations within net.art are highly diverse in terms of content. These works often explore themes related to the internet, digital culture, social commentary, and the relationship between technology and society, like Cheang’s work.
Brandon by Shu Lea Cheang
Brandon is a net.art, a multi-artist, multi-site, multi-institution collaboration created and mainly conceptualized by Shu Lea Cheang in 1998. The project can be described as an early interactive exploration of online culture and gender identity. Cheang’s work is a combination of digital media and coding that merged to create an immersive online experience through storytelling techniques.
During the conceptualization of her exploration into immersion in the new digital era, Shu Lea Cheang, the artist, drew inspiration from two articles in the Village Voice, one detailing Brandon Teena’s transgender rape/murder case by Donna Minkowitz, and the other, Julian Dibbell’s “A Rape in Cyberspace.” These articles deeply influenced the narrative and storytelling approach of Cheang’s work, which aimed to address issues of transgender identity, discrimination, and violence.
In Brandon, interfaces such as bigdoll, roadtrip, mooplay, panopticon, and Theatrum Anatomicum serve as collaborative platforms and launch pads. Each interface functions as a mainframe, offering a structural framework through which contents and inhabitants can move fluidly. The narrative evolves through the incorporation of additional add-ons and plug-ins, fostering interactivity and engagement. This interactive aspect allows users to navigate the online environment, interact with various elements, and uncover different facets of Brandon Teena’s story, highlighting the complexities of identity and the realities of violence against transgender individuals in contemporary society as well as sexual transgression in an online setting.
In general terms, the precedent that this work set in the world, beyond net art, is quite significant. It stands as one of the Guggenheim Museum’s first virtual exhibitions. This project also serves as a social critique of the ineffectiveness of the justice system in handling cases involving queer individuals, and highlights how the online setting enables sexual predators to conceal their identities behind usernames and devices. The project undoubtedly carries a strong message, evident through its graphic images. The intention is to evoke a sense of discomfort in the viewer, prompting us to empathize and acknowledge the severity of both cases that inspired this artwork.
In our creative coding class, I discovered that “Brandon” by Shu Lea Cheang primarily employs JavaScript through the interview, a language we’re familiar with. While the technical aspects might differ, connections to class concepts emerge. Firstly, interactive storytelling, akin to our Project A, is evident in “Brandon,” offering a nonlinear and immersive narrative. Secondly, multimedia integration, a current focus, parallels “Brandon’s” use of text, images, videos, and sound to enrich its storytelling. Lastly, community engagement, akin to our audience-centric projects, is seen in “Brandon” through user interaction, fostering participation. Despite technical disparities, these connections illustrate the relevance of our class concepts to real-world applications like Brandon.
I think that “Brandon” by Shu Lea Cheang offers profound inspiration for personal net art story narration projects through its innovative storytelling techniques and deep exploration of themes like sensitive topics. Its social commentary on issues like justice system ineffectiveness and online anonymity provides a powerful example for creators to seek stories that cause and impact and turn them into artwork that follows in their own narratives.
presentation:
Sources:
https://anthology.rhizome.org/brandon
https://rhizome.org/editorial/2012/may/10/shu-lea-cheang-on-brandon/
https://brandon.guggenheim.org/
https://www.theartnewspaper.com/2024/03/04/lg-guggenheim-award-shu-lea-cheang-net-artist