"Society was built on the back of the masses."
This was something my history teacher relayed to us the other day during his lecture on the Renaissance, and it reminded me of the recent developments in the Middle East. The masses - or in this case, the people of Egypt - voiced their concerns and got what they wanted.
These civil protests are only a part of what is a chain of demonstrations occuring in the Middle East as of present. One of the most recent examples is the crisis in Libya. Yes, it is a violent protest, but the masses are speaking up.
But such public demonstrations are not only limited to countries with social unrest. The citizens in this nation, city, or even this school community can also bring their concerns to the surface if need be. The people should open up their eyes that they have the most power, and use of this power can very well overthrow any unjust forces of authority and change society as a whole.
2011/02/24
2011/02/22
"Technology Ruins Romance," but it doesn't just stop there.
From one of their earlier videos...
... to one of their more recent ones:
WongFuProductions has yet again embodied the tragedy of modern day interaction into a series of short films titled, "Technology Ruins Romance."
From both of these examples, we see contrasting points based on the relevance of telecommunication in today's society.
In "Letters", a man thinks that it is more romantic and meaningful to actually write a love letter by hand. Instead, he is berated by his ex-girlfriend: Why didn't he just send her e-mails?
In the "The Airport," a man is once again subjected to the fury of the woman he loves as he fails to track her down at the airport. He instead opts to call her after running several blocks. After all, it was easier for him to just tell her over the phone not to take the job offer in Paris. But then she asks him, wouldn't it mean so much more if he made the effort to run all the way to the airport to profess his undying love for her? Given that this example may be a tad extreme, but the message is still there.
Both these videos bring up an interesting point. Is today's society too reliant on technology to communicate and convey our feelings? There is much more meaning in the actions of writing a letter, erasing, tearing a page to pieces and starting over, than to simply type a few lines and erase it all with the press of a button. What about the waiting process? Sending in a letter and hoping it reaches the person, and then not knowing whether or not you'll get one in return - the anticipation of this wait is simply removed through the use of email, texting, or social networking sites.When it comes to face to face conversations, even if the person lives just across the street, it is no doubt easier to just text them, or even instant message them if we want to tell them something.
Let us look at the phenomenon that is Facebook. A relationship for example, with so much emotion, meaning, and effort placed into it, can be ended by simply changing one's relationship status to Single. Also, what is the point of broadcasting to the world that It's Complicated? Do you have a birthday coming up, or perhaps an important dinner? Instead of handing out invitations, putting our heart and effort into decorations, one can simply set up an "event" and send invitations out en masse.
That is not to say that all this technology is a bad thing. Take for example, a soldier serving in Iraq and the ability to use webcam to talk to his family overseas. But what about those living within a very close vicinity?
With the increasingly fast paced creation of technology today, there is no doubt that communication will be even more digitized in the future. The question is, what will be left of actual physical human interaction and social skills of the future generation? If we are already ceasing our human interaction, will we all eventually have to present ourselves through holograms in our work, school, or even home environment? Or will someone put there foot down and yell "STOP!?"
Only time will tell.
... to one of their more recent ones:
WongFuProductions has yet again embodied the tragedy of modern day interaction into a series of short films titled, "Technology Ruins Romance."
From both of these examples, we see contrasting points based on the relevance of telecommunication in today's society.
In "Letters", a man thinks that it is more romantic and meaningful to actually write a love letter by hand. Instead, he is berated by his ex-girlfriend: Why didn't he just send her e-mails?
In the "The Airport," a man is once again subjected to the fury of the woman he loves as he fails to track her down at the airport. He instead opts to call her after running several blocks. After all, it was easier for him to just tell her over the phone not to take the job offer in Paris. But then she asks him, wouldn't it mean so much more if he made the effort to run all the way to the airport to profess his undying love for her? Given that this example may be a tad extreme, but the message is still there.
Both these videos bring up an interesting point. Is today's society too reliant on technology to communicate and convey our feelings? There is much more meaning in the actions of writing a letter, erasing, tearing a page to pieces and starting over, than to simply type a few lines and erase it all with the press of a button. What about the waiting process? Sending in a letter and hoping it reaches the person, and then not knowing whether or not you'll get one in return - the anticipation of this wait is simply removed through the use of email, texting, or social networking sites.When it comes to face to face conversations, even if the person lives just across the street, it is no doubt easier to just text them, or even instant message them if we want to tell them something.
Let us look at the phenomenon that is Facebook. A relationship for example, with so much emotion, meaning, and effort placed into it, can be ended by simply changing one's relationship status to Single. Also, what is the point of broadcasting to the world that It's Complicated? Do you have a birthday coming up, or perhaps an important dinner? Instead of handing out invitations, putting our heart and effort into decorations, one can simply set up an "event" and send invitations out en masse.
That is not to say that all this technology is a bad thing. Take for example, a soldier serving in Iraq and the ability to use webcam to talk to his family overseas. But what about those living within a very close vicinity?
With the increasingly fast paced creation of technology today, there is no doubt that communication will be even more digitized in the future. The question is, what will be left of actual physical human interaction and social skills of the future generation? If we are already ceasing our human interaction, will we all eventually have to present ourselves through holograms in our work, school, or even home environment? Or will someone put there foot down and yell "STOP!?"
Only time will tell.
2011/02/16
Taking aesthetic experiences to a whole new level.
This article describes the works of Chinese artist Liu Bolin as he becomes -- quite literally -- "one" with his art.
Though Liu isn't the first artist to implement such a technique, it is still worth mentioning and is definitely timeless.
What is interesting about this type of art is that it makes you look at different aspects of the artwork (or photograph, in this case) and analyze it throughly until you have reached your goal. Perhaps in your journey towards finding that certain object, you have discovered things you wouldn't have noticed at first glance and if you didn't take the time to delve deeper into the work of art. It is very much like finding a little red light in the middle of a pitch black room - it's there, but only visible when you are not looking for it.
Though Liu isn't the first artist to implement such a technique, it is still worth mentioning and is definitely timeless.
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| Can you spot Liu in this photo? (photo taken from article @ Yahoo!News) |
What is interesting about this type of art is that it makes you look at different aspects of the artwork (or photograph, in this case) and analyze it throughly until you have reached your goal. Perhaps in your journey towards finding that certain object, you have discovered things you wouldn't have noticed at first glance and if you didn't take the time to delve deeper into the work of art. It is very much like finding a little red light in the middle of a pitch black room - it's there, but only visible when you are not looking for it.
"Retail Fashion Meets Art Meets QR Codes"
The 21st century has seen an obsession with Smartphones and PDAs. In addition to this craze, the introduction of the QR Code as in application in these devices, and within the past decade, has led to a revolution in advertising and information technology.
This is a fascinating example of what happens when the traditional display of consumer goods meets the advertisting technology of the modern era. Not only does it look very modern and sleek whilst showing these products off in all their glory, but the addition of the QR code gives more meaning to the display. It is no longer just a product stand, but a portal to 21st century technology and a source of information to the world around us.
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| (photo credit to http://2d-code.co.uk/selfridges-qr-code-fashion-display/) |
This is a fascinating example of what happens when the traditional display of consumer goods meets the advertisting technology of the modern era. Not only does it look very modern and sleek whilst showing these products off in all their glory, but the addition of the QR code gives more meaning to the display. It is no longer just a product stand, but a portal to 21st century technology and a source of information to the world around us.
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