Fourteenth International Conference on the Arts in Society

Abstract

This article presents an artistic and technological proposal of creative exploitation of contemporary aestheticisation processes, thriving on the spectacularisation of the mundane. As individuals are expected to lead aestheticised lives, documenting and sharing them through black-boxed mechanisms, the enjoyment of social, cultural and entertainment experiences in the physical world has become increasingly dependent upon onlineness. Mobile communication devices act as black boxes, blurring the divide between online and material by means of augmentation. The mobile screen offers a cinematic, digitally augmented view of the world, where a wealth of digital media hovers silently, often anchored to physical locations. But this remarkable collection of digital graffiti can also be regarded as prima materia by artists and researchers, and become a critical playground, meaningfully contributing to the sharpening, focusing and de-blurring of contemporary society.