Swarm / Emerge is a tool for discovering meaning through the dissolution and reassembly of language.
It samples source texts and dissolves them into individual words that move about freely in a perpetual swarm.
By watching this swarm, we can discern the emergence of new meanings.
For this interactive experience commissioned for the first (e)merge art fair, I collected artists statements as my source, and used this sample to remix new meanings for art. The process for discovering these meanings is simple: just watch the random words (in the white background), and remix them into new statements about “it” (sentences in blue). This remixing process is not automatic or random; it is guided by the human intent to create a meaningful statement, using the words as material. The statements are meant to be potential pathways to insight, sparks of new ideas for what art is, and what it could be.
Many of the remixed “it” statements were created by visitors to the fair.
Want to contribute your artist statement, or your own remixes about “it”?
Email adam AT therealadamgood.com.
Or, you can view the original artist statements (google spreadsheet).