Zhefan Gu — Efficient Roaming
Genius Loci — Winter 2022
https://zhefangu.com/Efficient-Roaming
Efficient Roaming is an experimental art project that explores the impact of social media on our appreciation of contemporary art. Over the course of two months, I visited various art exhibitions in cities of different sizes in China on fixed weekends. Following the current trends on social media, I selected exhibitions based on their potential for high-quality selfies and recorded how long it takes to wait in line to get a selfie with the artwork after entering the galleries.
However, the question arises whether the time spent in line to take a selfie with an artwork truly reflects its value. Social media conventions have transformed the way we appreciate art exhibitions. Selecting exhibitions based on their selfie potential, dressing up to match the exhibition's style, learning about the most worthy works at the exhibition, referring to others' selfie poses, and completing the appreciation within a limited time frame have all changed the way we perceive and judge artworks.
Through this project, I aim to present an alternative perspective on participating in art culture. I invite viewers to consider whether the hierarchical discourse in the art world will continue to disappear in the future and how the relationship between subject and object in the art aesthetic may change as a result of social media's influence.
