We took our students to FACT Liverpool to see the How much of this is fiction exhibition, where !Mediengruppe Bitnik has been exhibiting Delivery for Mr. Assange (2013).
Julian Assange has been living at the Ecuadorian embassy in London since June 2012. In early 2013, !Mediengruppe Bitnik sent a parcel to the WikiLeaks founder, in a work entitled Delivery for Mr. Assange. The parcel contained a camera which broadcast its entire journey through the postal system live on the
Internet. Delivery for Mr Assange is presented here in three parts, including an X-Ray of the original package sent to the Embassy during the mail-art performance, and a text written by Daniel Ryser in 2014, which captures the extraordinary delivery and the uproar that followed on the Internet.
The largest element is Assange’s Room: a striking, sculptural 1:1 reproduction of Assange’s office at the embassy. The room is meticulously constructed entirely from memory (photography is not allowed in embassy rooms) after several visits made by the artists to the office. The disparity between Assange’s
lack of freedom is emphasised by the visitors freedom to walk in and out of the uncannily normal space. The physical restrictions placed on a seeker of political asylum stand in stark contrast to the reach offered by Wikileaks, and the Internet, as a platform designed for free speech.
Accompanying the installation is digital work Skylift (VO.2) by Adam Harvey, a geolocation spoofing device that virtually relocates visitors to Assange’s residence at the Ecuadorian Embassy.
How much of this is fiction.is a touring exhibition, programme of events, and media campaign exploring the art and activist movement, Tactical Media, which emerged in the late 90s. Specifically, the project investigates the ways in which one of the key legacies of Tactical Media (namely, the politically inspired
media hoax) exploits the boundary between fiction and reality. How much of this is fiction. examines the role, and social purpose, of the artist as Trickster.
This exhibition looks at the legacy of the initial projects, moments and acts within Tactical Media’s ‘history’, as well as how these approaches have altered in today’s era of mass self-mediation through the widespread availability of social media and other decentralised communication platforms. It also presents new works by contemporary artists who are working within the areas of politically engaged (media disseminated) art, using approaches which resonate with the ethos of Tactical Media, shifting public perception and awareness of issues through artistic experimentation and a call to the imagination.