Guggenheim's YouTube Play Biennial Critiqued for Misrepresenting Platform's Amateur Spirit
The YouTube Play: A Biennial of Creative Video wrapped up at the Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum in New York on October 21, 2010. A panel featuring Douglas Gordon, Laurie Anderson, and Darren Aronofsky chose 20 videos from a pool of 125 finalists, selected from 23,000 submissions worldwide. The event showcased cutting-edge projection technology, displaying individual video feeds on each tier of the museum's exterior, which detracted from the content itself. During the closing, the band OK Go performed on acoustic guitars from tall orange ladders in the museum's atrium, enhancing the technological display. Critics noted that entries like '999 Days: Russell Higgs URBAN BARBARIAN' felt overly polished and clichéd, straying from YouTube's spirit of spontaneous, amateur creativity.
Key facts
- YouTube Play: A Biennial of Creative Video ended on October 21, 2010.
- The event was held at the Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum in New York.
- A panel of cultural celebrities selected 20 videos from 125 shortlisted entries.
- Douglas Gordon, Laurie Anderson, and Darren Aronofsky were among the judges.
- The biennial featured projection technology on the museum's exterior rings.
- OK Go performed on acoustic guitars on tall orange ladders during the finale.
- Critics noted the videos were professional and clichéd, contrary to YouTube's amateur spirit.
- The entry '999 Days: Russell Higgs URBAN BARBARIAN' was highlighted as an example.
Entities
Artists
- Douglas Gordon
- Laurie Anderson
- Darren Aronofsky
- Russell Higgs
Institutions
- Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum
- YouTube
Locations
- New York
- United States