The Hacker as an Artist

Eva and Franco Mattes

Who are Eva and Franco Mattes?

•Duo behind the website 0100101110101101.org•Known for their subversion of public media , publicity stunts•Nike Ground, Darko Maver, United We Stand, Vaticano.org•Artists? Vandals? Activists?•“We are beholders. We stage paradoxical situations and then sit in the armchair watching the consequences.”

What was Nike Ground?

Nike Ground: Nike’s Next Ad Campaign (Oct ‘03)

• Installed a massive Nike infobox in the middle of Karlsplatz

• Distributed Massive Flyers, launched Website

• Nike threatened legal action if the performance did not cease immediately; they refused.

‘United We Stand’: EU Pride (2005)

•Massive marketing campaign for fake action film•Posters distributed throughout Europe •Launched Website•European Propaganda film

Darko Maver: The Artist That Never Existed (98-00)

•Eva and Franco created a fictional artist, including a website, fake bio, works•Darko Maver soon gained cult status and notoriety, becoming the subject of exhibitions and the press•Ultimately killed off and later revealed as a hoax

Vaticano.org – The First Internet Coup (Dec ‘98)

•A faux-replica website of the Vatican was created•Receives hundreds of thousands of visitors, diverting traffic away from the real website•Discreet modifications from the original website

So…Why?

• It’s hard to say.• “We are beholders. We stage paradoxical situations and then sit in the armchair watching

the consequences.”• “My only responsibility is to be irresponsible.”

Sound Familiar?•They are manipulating public space without anyone’s permission •The world is their “open model”•Symbols, ideas, sounds, etc, are free for themto use—for anyone to use.•“[Contemporary copyrights are] totally outdated. Today’scopyrights are not a protectionfor the artists but for the dist-ributors…The distribution ofculture should be more import-ant than the law that protectssingle works.”

Discussion Questions

• Are the actions and ideology of Eva and Franco comparable to the Hacker Ethic?

• Do these ‘performances’ go beyond just elaborate pranks?

• Can these performances effectively catalyze social and political change?

• Do people have the right to freely manipulate and tinker with items of the public domain?