In their inaugural online (only) showcase, Spirit Stick Collective launches ‘THIS IS NOT AN ERROR MSG’ on 20 October 2015. Curated by Dalia Anime, this is an exhibition from 18 artists from all over the world, all contributing their work in digital media, “transforming the experience of viewing art…localising it to your own private anywhere and anytime”. Exhibition end date as yet undetermined.

Art is unleashed from gallery…

And is transformed into something ephemeral, right in front of your eyes and seen only through the tiny window of a computer (or smartphone or tablet). Curated by Dalia Anime, “This is not an error msg” takes art away from the public space, where you the viewer are usually joined by others looking at tangible objects or images, and in turn, the physical artwork becomes something else, “localising it to your own private anywhere and anytime, within the isolation of yourself and the display on your screen.”

Rebecca Molloy, 'Diet Coke Break', 2015, from painting, video and sculpture installation. Image courtesy the artist.
Rebecca Molloy, ‘Diet Coke Break’, 2015, from painting, video and sculpture installation. Image courtesy the artist.

Based in London, Spirit Stick Collective is a group of (currently) 18 artists from around the globe, who are interested in digitalisation, femininity, feminism, gender, and sexuality in their artwork. Headed by artist and MA Fine Art student at Chelsea College of Arts, Dalia Anime, the collective was formed as a way of collaborating with others and showing artwork together, online or even in physical spaces.

And now let’s get to the artwork itself…

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…from sugar-white cube to candy pink

If you dare to “Click Here To Enter” through the flashing pink door, you will be greeted by another mind-dazzling gif which bids you “look at cool art now”. Click again and then you’ve reached the first artist in the exhibition by Dalia Anime, which includes more flashing gif’s, digital collages, and what looks like seedy bedroom Polaroids.

But don’t let cute kittens and pink sparkle lull you into thinking these are about kitsch or nostalgia around a Barbie childhood; the captions and the images they are under hint at much darker themes: body image, break-ups, identity conflict, and objectification, while at the same time, the woman at the centre strives to maintain a sense of power in the image she chooses to make public.

Dalia Anime, 'Dream Boy 1', 2015, digital collage. Image courtesy the artist.
Dalia Anime, ‘Dream Boy 1’, 2015, digital collage. Image courtesy the artist.

This centre of a powerful self is evident in other artists’ work: Andie Macario (with her video clip, “Got Milk?” and Rebecca Danks, “Longing for your touch” in which bizarre long-fingered hot pink rubber glove-sculptures seem to repel with the same measure of longing they convey.

Andie Macario, 'Got Milk?', 2015, digital GIF. Image courtesy the artist.
Andie Macario, ‘Got Milk?’, 2015, digital GIF. Image courtesy the artist.

Then there are questions of identity and gender such as in digitally-altered photos of ancient Greek gods unabashedly glittery and salacious by Yan Petris, and the digital collage GIFs from the Faggettes, who remake vegetables and conch shells into images that shimmy downright suggestively. Hilarious!

Faggettes, 'Dancing Fanny', 2015, digital collage gif. Image courtesy the artist.
Faggettes, ‘Dancing Fanny’, 2015, digital collage gif. Image courtesy the artist.

The artists listed above are but small sampling of what’s to see in “This is not an error msg” and I encourage visitors to check out this unusual exhibition delivered in the most apropos venue(?) of the Internet.

In many cases, whether the artist’s intent was to be humorous, slightly disturbing, or perhaps both, I don’t know, but all the artworks in “This is not an error msg” are compelling in their own way. And despite the irresistibly bright lollipop colours and eye-catching GIFs, there’s a whiff of something a tiny bit nefarious that stays with you a while, and a lot of these works need more than a second look. Recommended, so take lunch outside the office today somewhere with WIFI!

PS. Forewarned is forearmed; many of these artworks are NSFW!

Lucilla Bellini, from 'W is for Wedding' tryptych, 2015, printed photography. Image courtesy the artist.
Lucilla Bellini, from ‘W is for Wedding’ tryptych, 2015, printed photography. Image courtesy the artist.

Participating artists in “This is not an error msg”:

Curated by Dalia Anime with Katarzyna Olbromska, Andie Macario, Rebecca Molloy, Lauren Crow, Rebecca Danks, Yan Petris, Ambika Subramaniam, Pooja Aggarwal, Eve Hardcastle, Faggettes, Eleanor Barker, Valentina Colella, Victoria, Catalina Diaz, Amy O’Connor, Helena Johansson Lindell, Peihang Huang, and Lucilla Bellini

Yan Petris, 'Hard 6', 2015, digital photography collage. Image courtesy the artist.
Yan Petris, ‘Hard 6’, 2015, digital photography collage. Image courtesy the artist.

More links and info about Spirit Stick Collective

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