Breaking News 2.0 – TRENDS AND ENVIRONMENTS: LIGHTING UP THE MESSAGE, SYMBOLISM AND SEMIOTICS OF THE NEW – PART 3

I really enjoyed this part of the lecture. It was a tour of the installation named Breaking News 2.0 by Patrick Thomas. It is an interactive installation were viewers can interact with it by typing their own “headlines” which in return they are projected onto a screen within the installation space.

The idea behind this installation, as the artist described it, is to “bombard and confuse” people. Thomas wanted to create this feeling as it reflects the way news is often broadcasted along different channels. In addition, he wanted to show how news is interpreted differently depending on the cultural context. I really liked the crude aesthetics of the installation. The use of bold colours and shapes that generated along with the use of the Arial typeface gives it a minimal, default look, yet still very striking. These days, I seem to be associating everything with the works of George Orwell. I do not know if it is the aesthetical aspect or the concept of the installation, or both, but I am finding this kind of dystopian, post-apocalyptic art very appealing lately. 

I have to admit that these days, with all the turmoil taking place both locally and internationally, it has influenced my way of thinking. With what is going on, I realised how much I take things to heart yet I am adopting somewhat of a selfish approach towards life. I am not proud of this, but the way things are turning out, I am going on survival mode, like many others. There are some who refuse to admit this, yet again, very few are willing to sacrifice what they have for the greater good. I do not think that it is a question of caring or not, but rather a question of whether to choose to move forward not matter what comes our way, or choosing to sink in with the rest, hoping that one day we will float back to the surface.