gluv
Made in collaboration with Matthew Waddell.
gluv is an interactive video installation that serves as a speculative design for a high-tech wearable product, inviting users to a faux product launch that satirically critiques our entanglement with technology and its terms. Upon entering, participants are prompted to place their hand on a sensor, facing a barrage of swiftly scrolling terms and conditions; only by 'agreeing' to these terms can they proceed, encapsulating the oft-ignored contractual agreements we regularly accept online.
The experience culminates with a 6-minute video, styled after the iconic product reveal events of tech giants like Apple and Samsung, introducing the GLUV as a revolutionary device.
This installation, however, goes beyond mere spectacle; it casts a critical eye on the invasive corporate practices that have permeated the digital realm, where users are lured into relinquishing vast amounts of personal data, including sensitive biomedical information, in exchange for 'free' services deemed essential. The GLUV represents the zenith of this digital surrender, underscoring how these platforms manipulate the allure of social connectivity, professional networking, and the promise of cultural and political clout to commoditize individual identities. It reveals a stark reality: in the digital marketplace, it is no longer just products that are being sold. Instead, we, the users, have become the ultimate commodity, our personal lives packaged and traded, often unbeknownst to us, in the service of a data-driven economy.
EXHIBITION HISTORY:
March 03 - May 22, 2022
Contemporary Calgary / Part of Rerouting Group Exhibition
Calgary, Canada
April 21 - May 2, 2023
EMMEDIA Gallery / Part of Particle + Wave Festival
Calgary, Canada
April 29 - August 26, 2023
Esplanade Arts & Heritage Centre / Part of The Mirror, The Echo, The Panopticon Group Exhibition
Medicine Hat, Canada
CREDITS
Concept and direction: Laura Anzola, Matthew Waddell
Script: Jason Rothery
Animation: Laura Anzola, Matthew Waddell
3D Modeling: Juan Olarte
Sound Design: Carolina Lucio
Music Editor: Darren Young
Sound Mix: Matthew Waddell, Darren Young
Graphic Design: Saje Damen
Light Design: Chris DePape
Color Correction: Guateque Cine
Sensor Development: Alec Brilling
Rigging, kiosk and additional help: Marc Lavallee
Voiceover: Jono Oldham
Photos: Caitlind Brown
This project has been assisted by the Province of Alberta through Alberta Foundation for the Arts, its arts funding agency and through Calgary Arts Development.
