SEM 2 - DIGITAL MEDIA
In this project I wanted to explore function (similarly to the theory in action project) and our interaction and use of digital tools. Inspired by theories of digital curation where artists repurpose technological tools, I question the rigid, predictable flows of information that govern our online experience. As users we are accustomed to a certain form of navigation in a website, with predictable behaviour and established conventions. However, what happens if this no longer applies? If links no longer behave as expected? Is the resulting experience freeing or constraining?
The work uses this website as a canvas, transforming it into a web of hyperlinks that connect disparate parts of the portfolio. The connections are not based on a pre-defined navigation, but on the repetition of meaningful words, while ignoring common connectors. This creates a new, non-linear way to traverse the site, one that is both logical and arbitrary. It is a way to interact with the site that is fundamentally different from the user's usual, structured navigation.
Background:
A previous iteration of this idea, the MoMA Scrambler, was a Chrome extension that scrambled all hyperlinks on the Museum of Modern Art's website. The key finding from that experiment was the user's frustration; there was a loss of function, but not a replacement with a new one. This frustration seemed to take away from the impact of the piece, so rather than merely breaking the existing navigation, I substitute it with an alternative logic. It is an exploration of how we find and create meaning when the familiar pathways are rearranged.
The source code is available on GitHub.
To install the extension:
1. Open Chrome and navigate to chrome://extensions.
2. Enable "Developer mode".
3. Click "Load unpacked" and select the project directory.
4. Click on the extensions icon in Chrome.
5. Select "This Can Read and Change Site Data" -> "When You Click the Extension".
6. Navigate to MoMA.org and click on the MoMA-scrambler extension icon to activate it.
1. Open Chrome and navigate to chrome://extensions.
2. Enable "Developer mode".
3. Click "Load unpacked" and select the project directory.
4. Click on the extensions icon in Chrome.
5. Select "This Can Read and Change Site Data" -> "When You Click the Extension".
6. Navigate to MoMA.org and click on the MoMA-scrambler extension icon to activate it.