Swedish artist Jonas Lund has experimented with different formats of art production and distribution, playfully questioning the existing models related to the commercialization of art. In particular, he explored the emergence of new habits in the art world with the appearance of new digital tools. For example, he conceived an exhibition (“Critical Mass” 2017) that evolves and changes over time, depending on an online survey that enables users to select their preferences regarding the exhibition design. He has also created 100,000 shares in the form of crypto currency tokens, allowing shareholders to have a say in his artistic career and future practice.
Intervening on the website of HeK Basel, Lund produced for a period of 7 days a script that reveals the presence of other users in real time. Each pointer leaves traces of his movements on the screen, in the form of graphics generated by an online community, reminiscent of the aesthetics of the nineties. Every website visitor can try out the digital work exclusively from 28.04.-05.05.2020 at www.hek.ch.
Statement by Jonas Lund about his new work:
“Since HeK first invited me to do something on their website two weeks ago, I’ve been mulling it over, finding it surprisingly difficult to find the right angle or approach. Everything is at the moment naturally surrounding Covid-19, so making work about anything else feels not too relevant, yet making work specifically about Covid-19 feels like it’s too early, too much. Most of the days of the lockdown I just stare at my computer waiting for something to happen. For people who are used to working at home, it shouldn’t be a big difference, but it feels completely different. I wonder if more people feel this way, if we are all connected through this moment, what if I could see you move when I move? Synchronised serendipitous movements across space. In I just stare at my computer waiting for something to happen every users trail is synchronised with all the visitors to the website and you see everyone’s cursor trail. The cursor is chosen at random from the complete archive of cursors from the RealWorld Graphics website, and is unique to one person. Revealing the loneliness and the togetherness at the same time through a serendipitous meeting at the HeK website.”
