| This paper will serve as the catalogue essay for a proposed exhibition entitled "Social Medium: Virtual vs. Actual Realities in Post-Internet Art." The exhibition consists of nine contemporary artists: Man Bartlett, Erik Carter, Sean Fader, Tyler Madsen, Jillian Mayer, Jean-Baptiste Michel, Kasia Molga, Lais Pontes, and Amalia Ulman. These artists all make works that employ social media networks, such as Facebook, Instagram, or Twitter. This catalogue essay will situate this newer genre of "social media art" within a larger art historical context of participatory art---specifically relational art of the 90s.;My analysis of these social media artworks considers the ways projects respectively relate to changing societal perceptions of gender and identity, issues with appropriation and authorship, and new methods of engagement and interaction between the artists and their audiences. It also is important to note that all of the works have aspects that ground them in the physical world, whether it be the art object, the artist's own body in the gallery space, or a physical interaction with the viewers. All of the works provocatively explore the interplay between virtual spaces and the actual, physical world. These artworks prompt us to consider the way digital media platforms impact our social relations and are threaded through our lives. |
