4266

Everything you say. Everything you do. Distorted.

Forms of media used to be much more private, but access to information and the way we socialize with each other has drastically changed due to the Internet. Everything we say, do, or post online shapes the way others perceive us. When content circulates on the Internet, how might our stories become distorted?

4266 | A Media Archaeology Artwork

Media archaeology is a field that aims to understand new and emerging media through an examination of dead media—obsolete and forgotten technologies. Media archaeology artwork repurposes dead media to create new works. When asked to create a media archaeology artwork at the Center of Digital Arts and Experimental Media, Theresa Ambat and I collaborated to explore the idea of how media is weaponized. We repurposed the CD to create 4266, an interactive sound dagger.

The Dagger

The dagger’s blade is constructed from sharp, cut-up CD pieces. Holding the dagger by a light source casts rainbows in the surrounding environment. The CD is representative of the physical boundaries our media used to have—confined within its physical object. Breaking the CD is symbolic of unleashing and spreading its information to the Internet.

Sound Modulation

On the Internet, false narratives can be spread and the damage done to one’s reputation may be irreversible. In 4266, sound is used to amplify the effect of these actions. Attached to the handle is an accelerometer which controls sound modulation. The audio is composed of various social media stars apologizing for their actions, defending themselves, or accusing others of spreading lies about them. Depending on how the dagger is moved through space, the voices become distorted.

Interaction

Interaction with this weapon then becomes representative of how shared media can be remixed and manipulated to change its original message, ultimately distorting society’s view of people and their stories.