Art Demystified

“I kept noticing instances where internet memes — planking, old me, new me, etc — and collaborative online video projects were really not so dissimilar from early conceptual art and its contemporary predecessors. There are numerous examples in art history of artists giving themselves or others instructions as a form of art-making. I saw this overlap as a possible way of exposing the internet generations to contemporary art, and as a way of legitimizing and celebrating the enormous creative output that the internet and social media has made possible. Also, I’ve been working in a museum field that is increasingly worried about its relevance and its ability to attract new and bigger audiences. I’ve really enjoyed getting to know my audience in Indianapolis, while also attempting to broaden that audience. But there is an inherent limit to how many people can physically travel to a museum. As I started to get more involved in social media, I couldn’t help but think about the possibilities it held for exposing new audiences to art. There is already a lot of great art-related content out there, but I think there is potential for so much more.”
 — In the wrong hands this project could probably be something very very ungood, but fortunately it is in the hands of Awl pal Sarah Urist Green, so it will almost certainly be okay.