Joseph DeLappe kicked off the “Small Talk, Big Ideas” series at the University of Nevada, Reno in February. DeLappe’s presentation was both innovative and relevant in this changing digital age.
The idea to incorporate a political message into gaming is one I hadn’t considered before seeing DeLappe’s work. I think the best use of this technique, both visually and conceptually, is “Dead in Iraq.”
The performance piece, which is still active, uses a U.S. military shooting game as a backdrop to name the troops who have died.
I think listing the names of dead soldiers while people virtually engage in a deadly war using uniformed soldier avatars to shoot each other raises important questions for society. The ability for the artwork to communicate a message adds an extra layer of complexity and credibility to the piece. As the work transcends art and becomes a sort-of social experiment, reactions to it become more meaningful.
Although conceptually it does not make such a large political statement, DeLappe’s simulation of Ghandi’s Salt March is also very intriguing. The work blurs lines between both past and present, and also the virtual world versus reality. Using technology to explore all of these contexts adds an interesting discussion about the digital world’s impact on society and people’s thought processes.
DeLappe’s presentation of his work displayed both the visual representations through screen shots and videos, giving the audience a good grasp of his projects. He also thoroughly explained the concept behind each of his works, adding insight that might not otherwise be known by just looking at the works at face value.
DeLappe thoroughly explained what led him to start his projects, as well as how he executed each. This type of inclusion in his lecture allowed the audience to better understand the art.
Questions for the artist:
1. What made you want to piece together art, political messages and gaming?
2. What are your thoughts on the public reaction to your work?
*Photo credit: unr.edu
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