{"id":73418,"date":"2023-10-11T09:00:00","date_gmt":"2023-10-11T16:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/blog.mozilla.org\/?p=73418"},"modified":"2023-10-13T15:13:35","modified_gmt":"2023-10-13T22:13:35","slug":"reclaim-expression-art-exhibit","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/blog.mozilla.org\/en\/mozilla\/reclaim-expression-art-exhibit\/","title":{"rendered":"\u2018Reclaim Expression\u2019: An immersive installation that puts you at the center of the internet"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
\"Concept
The installation \u201cReclaim Expression” was created by the Liganova Horizon team led by Sebastian Kraus and in collaboration with Christine Mayerhofer for Mozilla\u2019s Reclaim the Internet event in Berlin on Oct. 12 to 16, 2023.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Mozilla\u2019s <\/em>Reclaim the Internet<\/em><\/a> event at the Alte M\u00fcnze in Berlin, happening Oct. 12 to 16,<\/em> <\/em><\/strong>features an immersive journey that invites people to act, build and choose to reimagine our digital future. The journey includes three art installations where visitors can explore how reclaiming the internet will help us take back expression, inspiration and wonder online.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Below is a preview of the installation \u201cReclaim Expression,\u201d created by the Liganova Horizon team led by Sebastian Kraus and in collaboration with Christine Mayerhofer. You can click the following links to read about the other two installations: \u201cReclaim Inspiration\u201d<\/a> and \u201cReclaim Wonder.\u201d<\/a> <\/em>Reserve free tickets to all three exhibits here<\/em><\/a>. <\/em><\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Imagine the internet with you at the center, rather than big tech and its profit margins. What would it feel like?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

That was the assignment for digital artist Christine Mayerhofer<\/a> and Liganova Horizon<\/a>\u2019s executive creative director, Sebastian Kraus. They embarked on building an interactive art installation that embodies Mozilla\u2019s mission to empower everyone so that we, as individuals, can shape the internet and our own experiences online. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Visitors who step into the exhibit, titled \u201cReclaim Expression,\u201d are handed the reins to craft the room\u2019s aesthetic by uploading personal images from their camera rolls. Through projection mapping and reactive soundscapes, people\u2019s contributions transform the space in real time.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWe wanted to create a digital landscape that\u2019s interactively shapeable,\u201d Sebastian said. \u201cEvery time you participate, you bring in an expression, the whole landscape will change.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Sebastian, who doesn\u2019t consider himself a traditional artist but has worked in creative branding for the last two decades, found the project challenging but less restrictive than what a traditional advertising career typically allows. He was inspired by his first internet experience, in 1995: \u201cIt was quite a mess with our first computer. It took ages for a website to load with a 56k [dial-up] modem. But even then, I got a glimpse of what the internet could be. I connected with other students and worked on school projects online. It was a time of excitement and discovery.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cMaybe people will laugh. Maybe they\u2019ll feel connected to other humans. … They should be able to feel that it\u2019s their own, live experience.\u201d<\/p>Christine Mayerhofer<\/em><\/em><\/cite><\/blockquote><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

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Sebastian\u2019s experience in creative advertising complemented Christine\u2019s extensive background in immersive art. She first started manipulating light to create large installations as a college student, saying that light \u2013 even when produced by a machine \u2013 made her feel alive. Christine hopes visitors to the exhibit feel the same way. \u201cI tried to make it emotional,\u201d she said. \u201cMaybe people will laugh. Maybe they\u2019ll feel connected to other humans. I want them to interpret [the installation] themselves and not need an explanation. They should be able to feel that it\u2019s their own, live experience.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Like Sebastian, Christine\u2019s first memory of using the internet involved connection with others. \u201cI remember one holiday, when I was 14, waking up early every day just to check if someone\u2019s online. All I did was chat with people.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Threading their early online experiences to the project at hand, Sebastian and Christine created something that reflects what they both hope for the future of the internet: a space where people can express their individuality while connecting with others to build something unique for everyone. Corporations may be the ones who build the online platforms we use, but people \u2013 once we recognize and wield our power \u2013 have the ability to make technology more transparent, responsible and inclusive.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThe internet is fluid, growing all the time,\u201d Christine said. \u201cPeople can come together, take care of this tool and handle it with honesty, so that it serves and remains free for everybody.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Sebastian added, \u201cYou will be surprised what kind of nice things will happen if we all collaborate and work together.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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@mozilla<\/a>

If you\u2019re in Berlin this weekend, make sure you stop by Mozilla\u2019s \u201cReclaim the Internet\u201d experience \ud83d\ude4c #berlinactivities<\/a> <\/p> \u266c Undertow (Sped Up) – Flight School & XIRA<\/a> <\/section> <\/blockquote>