Metahaven
The Sprawl
18 Dec 2015 - 03 Apr 2016
"The Sprawl" (still), 2015. Co-produced by Lighthouse and commissioned by Lighthouse and The Space © Courtesy of the Artist and Yerba Buena Center for the Arts
METAHAVEN
The Sprawl
18 December 2015 - 3 April 2016
For their exhibition at YBCA, Amsterdam based design and research studio Metahaven debut the first gallery presentation of their new film project, The Sprawl. In an immersive video installation that explores the mutation of propaganda in the age of social media, the project investigates the recent Ebola outbreak, the conflict between Ukraine and Russia, and the rise of the Islamic State (ISIS) through the internet and traditional news media. Unlike previous eras, where the state continuously enforces one propagandistic message to the public, the example of these three crises reveals how propaganda now exists within a horizontal field of instant, multiple messages. Metahaven use graphic design, identity branding, and product development as a means to investigate existing commercial and political power structures.
The Sprawl is co-commissioned by Lighthouse and The Space. Lighthouse is a contemporary culture agency that connects new developments in art, technology and society. We present and produce commissions, exhibitions, events and education schemes that support radical new contemporary art, music, film and digital culture. We work with a rich network of collaborators and present work in our Brighton UK venue, as well as across the globe, in partnership with leading festivals and institutions.
The Sprawl
18 December 2015 - 3 April 2016
For their exhibition at YBCA, Amsterdam based design and research studio Metahaven debut the first gallery presentation of their new film project, The Sprawl. In an immersive video installation that explores the mutation of propaganda in the age of social media, the project investigates the recent Ebola outbreak, the conflict between Ukraine and Russia, and the rise of the Islamic State (ISIS) through the internet and traditional news media. Unlike previous eras, where the state continuously enforces one propagandistic message to the public, the example of these three crises reveals how propaganda now exists within a horizontal field of instant, multiple messages. Metahaven use graphic design, identity branding, and product development as a means to investigate existing commercial and political power structures.
The Sprawl is co-commissioned by Lighthouse and The Space. Lighthouse is a contemporary culture agency that connects new developments in art, technology and society. We present and produce commissions, exhibitions, events and education schemes that support radical new contemporary art, music, film and digital culture. We work with a rich network of collaborators and present work in our Brighton UK venue, as well as across the globe, in partnership with leading festivals and institutions.