alt
PLAY:
[option + left click] = rotate camera
[option + scroll] = zoom in/out
[left click] on fundamental shapes (sphere, cylinder and cone) to build the altar
ABOUT:
alt is a cybernetic altar that interprets the compulsive use of Internet and technological devices (such as phones, tablets and computers) as relics of our humanness. It expresses a series of pathologies and distortions of our psyche as a result of our worship to technology. In an era of consumerism and obsolescence, our desires are satisfied by the possession of the newest tech.
alt starts with three "fundamental" – geometrical – shapes inspired by Paul Cézanne's quote: " [...] deal with nature by means of the cylinder, the sphere and the cone, all placed in perspective, so that each side of an object or a plane is directed towards a central point". They symbolize the origin of all beings and things: the sphere for infinity, the cylinder as a way to reach beyond, the cone as depth and perspective. The altar is built with our most desirable tech devices: smartphones, computers, tablets, routers, etc. The orgasms suggest that our desires are no longer satisfied by proximity of the other, but by proximity of technology. Sensuality through touch has mutated from skin to interface. A glitched humanoid stands in the center of the altar with emerging particles of light. These stand as a way to represent energy, while the noise music of Shawné stands as a ritual chanting for machines.
This project was inspired by Franco Berardi's book Precarious Rhapsody: semiocapitalism and the pathologies of the post-alpha generation in which he discusses how "in our time of digital mutation, technical automatisms are taking control of the social psyche".
The background music is from the project / X X X T I N C T 1 Ø N / by shawné michaelain holloway: http://xxxtinction.tumblr.com/
The orgasm sounds are from youtube "orgasm sound effects".
3D models from the Internet expect for: geometry, router, ethernet cables.
This project started with a clumsy and chaotic arrangement of technological devices that appeared when the screen was clicked, after which I narrowed the clicking to the fundamental shapes. The project changed as soon as the clicking sound was replaced by orgasm sounds, that were only triggered when clicking on the shapes. After receiving some feedback, I decided to add more sounds to a series of objects to simulate an ongoing, never ending orgy. Instantiation took me a while. It was an important part of the project to portray the obsolescence, but I kept having errors in my code (for example: the objects (and the array of orgasm sounds) kept going out of range, but a clamping function resolved the issue). I still couldn't manage to get shapes to appear in front of the three pedestals. The 3D modeling took me too long, only for the router and the ethernet cables, after which I decided to download all shapes. Ideally, with more time, I would have modeled them all (except the human, maybe, probably).
