We had a few hours to kill before our tour at the Chinati Foundation so we hit another notable art spot in town. Ballroom Marfa is a contemporary art space in the heart of town. Like all good things Marfa, it is a converted building. Before hosting films, music, and performing arts events and a gallery, the structure was a dance hall dating back to 1927.
This Is Presence
On display was a transhumanist juxtaposition of man and machine exploring promises of better living and Internet marketing. Along with sculptures and found art items, the theme is encapsulated in brilliant video montages that zoom out into web placements, click-bate articles, sales popups, affiliate links, “you may also like” prompts, popups, screen takeovers, social media profile pages, and other online marketing gimmicks traversed by a mouse pointer narrator out of our control. Machines are sexual. “Fresh squeezed link juice” is for sale. People are tools. And it appeals to every throb of this programmers heart.
