Tadas Maksimovas's Emotigun: A Slingshot That Fires Facebook Reactions
Lithuanian artist Tadas Maksimovas created an installation titled 'Emotigun,' inspired by a popular Facebook meme of Sylvester Stallone as Rambo firing a machine gun that shoots thumbs-up icons. In Maksimovas's version, the weapon is a giant slingshot that launches wooden discs depicting all Facebook reactions: like, heart, laugh, angry, sad, and surprised. The artist himself, dressed as Mark Zuckerberg during his US congressional hearing, is the target, receiving over 200 hits to the face. The work critiques the violence of social media engagement and the performative nature of online interaction. The installation was featured on Artribune in May 2019.
Key facts
- Tadas Maksimovas created Emotigun.
- The installation is inspired by a Facebook meme of Rambo shooting thumbs-up icons.
- The weapon is a giant slingshot firing wooden discs with Facebook reaction icons.
- The artist dresses as Mark Zuckerberg during his US congressional hearing.
- Over 200 discs hit the artist in the face.
- The work critiques social media engagement and online performativity.
- The installation was covered by Artribune in May 2019.
- Valentina Tanni is an art historian and curator who wrote about the work.
Entities
Artists
- Tadas Maksimovas
- Sylvester Stallone
- Mark Zuckerberg
- Valentina Tanni
Institutions
- Artribune
- Politecnico di Milano
- NABA – Nuova Accademia di Belle Arti
Locations
- Lithuania
- United States