Аннотация: Internet art is "cleared of authors" and turned into money. The "Bible" of memes, the "stock exchange" of memes. A culturological essay.
Internet art is "cleared of authors" and turned into money. The "Bible" of memes, the "stock exchange" of memes. A culturological essay.
A Nigerian artist creates beautiful digital artwork using a computer and a text editor. He sells them at auctions, at exhibitions, on websites...
However, the monetization of fine Internet art can be approached from another angle.
Recall the principle of Crowdsourcing, as well as a filtering useful ideas. Huge political structures tried to reach the future, using this mechanism . These structures interpreted crowdsourcing (1) as the voluntary transfer of the idea by the author and (2) as the depersonalization of the idea ('purification' of the idea from authorship). This approach made it possible (a) to save money, (b) to exalt oneself - ideas (directly or indirectly) seemed to become the product of those who used them. So the benefits (out of this approach) could be obtained various, repeated, different. (Moreover, "protection" is provided from "outsiders", in relation to "own" content).
(Crowdsourcing (from the English crowd - 'crowd' and sourcing - 'use of resources') is the transfer of certain production functions to a circle of people without concluding an employment contract, by the type of subcontract work, in order to use their knowledge, their experience and their creativity skills. That is, we are talking about shifting various tasks onto the shoulders of enthusiasts.).
Why did we remember crowdsourcing?
In this world, much depends on the name, on the title.
Let's say a certain person collected images, combined them under one cover and published a collection of pictures. The Picture Book may or may not be interesting.
It is a completely different matter if the printed products are called the 'Bible of Memes'. Well, if it's the Bible, then it's certainly the interesting book. The author of such a "Bible" claims to be famous - he trying to be similar those symbolic people who wrote the Bible, the books of the Bible...
What is this 'Meme Bible' made of? For example, out of pictures (with usage of pictures).
Naturally, each picture has an author. But the picture can (slyly, crafty) be called a "meme".
A meme is a unit of culturally significant information. A meme is any idea, symbol, manner or mode of action, consciously or unconsciously transmitted from person to person (that spreads by means of imitation from person to person) through speech, writing, video, rituals, gestures, etc.
So, a meme is a 'unit of information'. With this name of a picture ('meme'), the question of authorship dissolves in a fog.
(Two important names are applied in the case in question: "Bible" and "meme").
After the pictures are named "memes", they can be safely placed in the "Bible of memes".
These "memes" can be searched on the Internet yourself.
But you can create a "stock exchange of memes." On this "exchange", using a conditional currency, users will sell and buy all sorts of pictures - "memes".
This process of buying and selling of "memes" (1) facilitates the process of collecting and selecting pictures, (2) clears pictures of (off) questions about the authorship, (3) reveals the public's sympathy for certain pictures (not all pictures found on the Internet ought to be placed in the "Bible of memes") .
How much does this "Bible of memes" cost? On one of the sites, this book is listed for $ 15 (the cost of one copy).
There are also photos of the pages of the 'Bible of Memes' on the site - with pictures (that is, with 'memes'). Well... I'm not ready to neither praise nor criticize... Those "memes" that I saw somehow didn't impress me...
Let's return to the issue of monetization of Internet art.
Not bad! Some users on the 'meme exchange' ensure the collection and selection of pictures, another activist compiles a collection of these pictures and calls it the 'Meme Bible'. This activist then starts selling the related print product. A new channel for receiving money has been created! Naturally, the authors of the pictures are left behind ("overboard") and without money.
Where did I get this information from?
About the digital artist from Nigeria, I read on the BBC website.
And this morning I went to the site of a major business forum. There were presented photos of the participants of this event.
Everyone smiles.
I asked myself the question - is there at least one person who does not smile (in the presented photographs)?
I looked at one photo after another.
At last! He does not smile - the head of the company that organized the "meme exchange". He got me interested.
Indeed, memes need to be taken seriously ... Yes...
[CLXXIX. The Fairy Tale about Mark Twain, the publisher. - April 17, 2018.
CCXXI. The Sketch about a Timekeeping. - May 18, 2018.
MDL. The modern history of Russial journalism (2010 - 2020). Historical version. A brief review. - July 8, 2020.
MMDCXC. The African fine art without brushes and without oil paints. Reflections of the cultural observer Vladimir Zalessky. A culturological note. - January 14, 2022.
MMDCXCI. The unique properties of a digital painting. A "digital locking" and the authorization. Reflections of the cultural observer Vladimir Zalessky. A culturological essay. - January 15, 2022.].
February 6, 2022 07:47
Translation from Russian into English: February 6, 2022 09:32
Владимир Владимирович Залесский 'Интернет-искусство 'очищается от авторов' и превращается в деньги. 'Библия' мемов, 'фондовая биржа' мемов. Культурологический очерк'.