Game Art. Roc Herms' "Study of Perspective" (2015)

Herms' 2015 game-photography project is a witty, playful re-enactment of Ai Weiwei's

shot with Grand Theft Auto V. It is also its penetrating critique: rather than a mere copy, Herms' series is a clever commentary on contemporary art inexorable failure at subversiveness. The shock value of an average work/performance by Ai Weiwei's is comparable to the introduction of the middle finger emoji by Apple in 2015. Ai Weiwei's artworks are popular mostly because they look good on Tumblr, Facebook, and Instagram where aesthetic values are measured in terms of likes/dislikes/thumbs up and down and "success" is defined by algorithms. Herms has perfectly demystified the Chinese artist' weak gestures and the insufferable slacktivism of his followers. Study of Perspective (2015) is a great example of digital art, as digitus in Latin means both number and finger.

"A rebellion against authority"? Well, everybody can be rebel in GTA. Keep playing.

Compare and contrast:

Roc Herms

Ai Weiwei