About the Artist

Eva and Franco Mattes were both born in Italy in 1976, and met in Berlin in 1994. They are a duo of artists where they use the internet and technology as themes and focal points of conversation. Throughout their installations, collaborative performances, film, photos and even live performances they create art that challenges the ethical and social concerns presenting itself from the initiation of the internet. Considered art pranksters and activist they operate under the pseudonym 0100101110101101.org, where they have there art work up on display. They are currently based in Brooklyn, New york but they also travel often across the United States and Europe.

Formal Analysis

As previously noted, there art works mainly consist of installations, collaborative performances, film, photography and live performances. Above is a live performance work titled “For Internet Use Only” (2016), where they simply share their desktop experience with anyone in the audience. Throughout the live performance, the Mattes would go online social media platforms such as Facebook, check their emails, surf the web, watch videos online, edit texts and buy things online. It is set up using a projector and a screen.

Content Analysis

This art installation is called “Ceiling Cat” (2016). It is an art installation using a taxidermy cat placed in a squared-shaped hole in the ceiling. The art work is supposed to illustrate how the internet is creepy, just like the cat. It raises the point that the internet has little to no restrictions on privacy rights. For this particular piece, privacy rights are the focal point of discussion where the Mattes try to illustrate how people should view the internet.

The above installation is an art piece titled “1 PM, 54 Franklin”. This is an installation of a laptop with CCTV footage of someone robbing from their exhibit. There’s a re-occuring message in their art work that challenges how much power technology has increased and how it has the power essentially over people, like prepared cameras and constant monitoring. In general, their are stories behind each piece where all of their art works challenge the social and ethical concerns that arise from the initiation of the internet and how society is more technologically comprised, especially when you look at American culture.

Thesis/ My Experience

I really liked learning about Eva and Franco Mattes. Their contributions to the art world are particularly interesting to me because of the challenges they made on the societal norms placed on the internet, and how they bring about certain issues and concerns that revolves around the use of the internet with today’s technology. I believe people should pay attention to the Mattes and their art works because they bring about awareness of the consequences of internet use, and creates discussion to challenge these norms.