In 2016, Constant Dullaart embarked on an online performance commissioned by Schirn Kunsthalle in Frankfurt. The performance drew inspiration from a historical army of mercenaries that fought in the American Revolutionary War. Specifically, the Dutch artist focused on the Hessian troops, who were originally hired by the British to fight for American independence. To challenge the American social media giants, Dullaart created thousands of fake Facebook profiles using the names of these soldiers, forming his own army. This project delved into the shadowy realm of fake accounts and the attention economy. Dullaart collaborated with partners in countries like Bangladesh, the Philippines, and ultimately Pakistan to execute this performance. While the social media intervention was "real," its primary operation took place on Pakistani soil and databases. Eventually, Facebook's troops eliminated the army Dullaart had created.

To explore the myth and representability of Dullaart's work, the Cultural Matter exhibition showcased his new "army" with his performance of The Possibility of an Army (2016). Alongside physical remnants of the Facebook performance, Dullaart presented an army of Amazon accounts. The artist's voice continuously prompted the virtual personal assistant, "Alexa, tell me a joke," leading dozens of Alexa accounts to respond with a cacophony of jokes. Visitors to the exhibition were also invited to engage in "conversations" with these accounts.

During the opening evening conversation on 9 May 2018, Social anthropologist Axelle Van Wynsberghe and Dullaart engaged in a candid discussion covering topics such as the artist's perspective on social media, the current political climate on the internet, the Facebook performance from 2016, and the presentation of the new work at LI-MA.

On 13th June 2018, Dullaart participated in a conversation with media theorist Geert Lovink. They explored Dullaart's work and practice through the lens of media activism, highlighting notable differences in generational approaches and strategies. Lovink spoke from the tradition of Tactical Media, emphasising the importance of breaking into structures and taking action. In contrast, Dullaart presented a more recent approach to media activism and institutional criticism, which focuses on demonstrating and examining structures.

Van Wynsberghe played a significant role in the exhibition's creation as a research intern. The exhibition featured essays by Van Wynsberghe and Sanneke Huisman, which accompanied the artworks. Read the entire text by Axelle Van Wynsberghe here (coming soon).

Following the successful Cultural Matter exhibition, LI-MA continued its collaboration with Constant Dullaart by organising a workshop. Dullaart, Van Wynsberghe, and Huisman worked together with Creative Coding Utrecht (CCU) to continue their research on "online armies" and the infiltration of social media. LI-MA and CCU issued an open call, inviting programmers, artists, and performers to participate. After an initial meeting at LI-MA, the workshop participants, guided by Dullaart, spent two days conducting research at CCU, exploring the setup of disinformation campaigns and investigating the use, abuse, and materiality of fake news.

About Constant Dullaart

Constant Dullaart lives and works in Amsterdam and Berlin. His works have been shown in Whitechapel Gallery London, Schirn Kunsthalle Frankfurt, Import Projects Berlin, Utah Museum of Contemporary Art, ZKM Karlsruhe, Victoria & Albert Museum London, and MAAT Lisbon. Dullaart has curated several exhibitions and lectured at universities and academies throughout Europe. In 2015, he was awarded the Prix Net-Art, the international prize for internet art. Dullaart is part of the group of artists who later became known as post-internet and is one of the key figures of that movement. His work tries to expose the structures of the industry behind the internet, often by way of appropriation or intervention. (updated as of May 2018)

Events

Exhibition:9 May - 20 June 2018 | 17:00-23:00 | LI-MA (Arie Biemondstraat 111, Amsterdam)

Event (1): Opening with Constant Dullaart and conversation with Axelle van Wynsberghe | 9 May 2018 | 21:00

Event (2): Cultural Matter: Constant Dullaart in conversation with Geert Lovink | 13 June 2018 | 21:00

Images in descending order:

• Banner Cultural Matter: Constant Dullaart
• Installation view Constant Dullaart, The Possibility of an Army (2016) at LI-MA, Amsterdam
• Axelle van Wynsberghe in conversation with Constant Dullaart

Photos by Jose Miguel Biscaya