Internet Culture

Waiting for economic value in the market or prestigious value in academia is the same as losing influence with the masses. Is it possible to create contemporary art from the Internet culture that changes people’s behavior in society?

Yoji Sakuma, UNDER 30, who researches virtual beings, reflects on his attempts at a special exhibition.

A culture of art festivals and art fairs is beginning to take root in Japan, and opportunities for special exhibitions based on contemporary art are increasing. However, it cannot be denied that contemporary art remains alien to most young people.

If we delve deeper into how the value of contemporary art is determined, it becomes apparent that the societal impact it can have is often overlooked. While economic assessments in both primary markets and auctions are significant, they remain somewhat detached from the general public. Authoritative assessments through academia and criticism also play a role, yet their connection to the public primarily occurs through museum collections and special exhibitions.

Philosopher Marcus Gabriel, renowned for his book Why the World Doesn’t Exist, argues that we should not abandon the Enlightenment’s belief that art’s function is to contribute to the moral progress of humanity. To achieve progress, reaching out to a broader audience is crucial. I believe we should explore art’s potential to influence the public beyond the confines of the art community, particularly focusing on young people.

From internet culture to art

What I want to emphasize here is the contrast between Internet culture and contemporary art. Unlike contemporary art, which typically accrues value within the art community over time, Internet culture allows works created by individual creators to directly reach millions of viewers. Contemporary art, until now, has rarely integrated such elements, exemplified by works like “Ghost in the Cell: Ghost in the Cell” (BCL), which features Hatsune Miku, and the vocaloid opera “THE END” (by Keiichiro Shibuya, featuring Hatsune Miku). However, there are no notable instances where creators from Internet culture have successfully transitioned into creating recognized contemporary art themselves.

At the end of 2023, a special exhibition titled “Expanded Music” was featured at the “Study: Osaka Kansai International Art Festival vol.3” in Osaka. The exhibition invited popular creators renowned for captivating young audiences with their innovative craftsmanship to explore and introduce new values in contemporary art.

The exhibition’s concept revolves around creators harnessing the capabilities of media and the Internet to restore the ephemeral and unique essence of a moment, amidst the high reproducibility characteristic of Internet culture. By enabling recording and playback through body-extended media, music originally experienced as a fleeting moment can now be perpetually enjoyed in the same manner. The goal is to showcase how these creators utilize modern technology to recreate the “one-off” feeling, emphasizing the transient and singular nature of artistic experiences in today’s digital age.

Turn internet culture into a work of art

It was a special exhibition featuring four groups of six creators, each aiming to provide an immersive experience of listening to music within Internet culture. For instance, in “Polyhedron, Mirror Surface” by Mirin Shiino and Tanaka, viewers input their impressions while listening to the music, which then generates a unique music video based on their feedback. Similarly, “Beyond,” a newly developed speech synthesis software for this occasion, alters its description on the display based on accumulated feedback. This setup not only recreates the evaluation process surrounding music and voice synthesis software but also incorporates user-generated content, thereby crafting a one-of-a-kind experience inclusive of the viewing environment.

“Boundary” by sekai and x0o0x_ introduces a unique sound source experienced by someone in front of them, creating an interactive sharing experience with viewers. This system enables each component to alternate between multiple tracks, such as piano or rock styles, different lyrics, varied vocal expressions, and other variations to generate a unique singing voice each time. Recording and sharing on social media platforms are permitted, symbolizing a new era of music appreciation where singular musical moments are captured, filmed, and distributed within Internet culture.

Advanced programming plays a pivotal role in Internet music. For instance, the AI generation system for “Polyhedron, Mirror Surface” and the “Fluid Corridor” by Flocro exemplify this synergy.

“Flocro” is particularly innovative, showcasing a creative process where selections of sounds and words that could potentially fit are chosen from main tracks, drums, and vocals. This approach generates an infinite array of music on the spot by calculating the network of possibilities inherent to Flocro’s distinctive sound and word combinations. This represents a paradigm shift where technology not only aids in music creation but also expands the boundaries of what can be produced in real-time within the realm of Internet culture.

Examining influence and behavior change

The attempt to connect young people with contemporary art through Internet culture can be considered a success, especially when evaluating it based on visitor numbers and engagement. In Japan, a typical commercial gallery hosting a solo exhibition might attract only a few hundred visitors over three weeks. Therefore, drawing over 3,000 people in just 11 days to the exhibition indicates a significant achievement. This level of attendance demonstrates a notable interest and engagement among young people in exploring contemporary art through the lens of Internet culture. It suggests that leveraging Internet platforms and technologies can effectively bridge the gap between traditional art spaces and younger audiences, fostering greater accessibility and appreciation for contemporary artistic expressions.

The success of connecting young people with contemporary art through Internet culture is evident not only in visitor numbers but also in broader indicators of influence. Surpassing the total visitor count of the parent art festival and art fair combined underscores the exhibition’s significant impact. Moreover, the exhibition generated tens of millions of impressions and sparked numerous posts on social media, further amplifying its reach and engagement.

These metrics highlight the exhibition’s ability to resonate widely beyond traditional art audiences, capturing the attention of a diverse and digitally savvy demographic. By leveraging Internet culture, the exhibition effectively expanded the accessibility and relevance of contemporary art, fostering a dynamic interaction between art, technology, and contemporary societal trends. Thus, it’s clear that the initiative successfully bridged the gap between contemporary art and young audiences, making a compelling case for the ongoing integration of digital platforms in art appreciation and engagement.

Based on the feedback and comments received, particularly regarding the interactive work “Listening” by Harumaki Gohan, which mixes eight tracks corresponding to a girl’s memories in real-time, it appears that the exhibition succeeded in fostering a contemplative atmosphere conducive to behavioral change. Many attendees expressed sentiments such as, “By listening to the overlapping hearts of different sounds, I was able to reflect on the act of listening to someone’s heart.”

These responses suggest that contemporary art, especially when integrated with interactive elements and themes of personal introspection, has the potential to provoke meaningful reflections and possibly influence behavioral patterns. The exhibition’s ability to evoke such deep responses indicates that it effectively engaged visitors on an emotional and intellectual level, prompting them to reconsider their perspectives and behaviors. Therefore, it can indeed be seen as achieving a positive result in terms of prompting behavioral change through the transformative power of contemporary art.

Yoji Sakuma is actively engaged in research on virtual beings at Osaka University. In 2025, he will serve as the director of the Osaka Pavilion at the Osaka/Kansai Expo, overseeing virtual live performances and alternative reality games. He is also a representative of the World Economic Forum’s Shape New World Initiative and has been recognized with the Minister of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology Award at the Japan Open Innovation Awards.

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