Politics of Power by automato
Politics of Power is an interactive installation piece that uses different "models" of plugs - Model D, M, and T - to simulate different ideological structures in the politics of networks by using different algorithms to distribute power between the lights which are plugged in. For example, in Model M, power is distributed hierarchically, where the topmost light gets the most power, and the bottom row gets very little. The "monarch" may randomly die, but this does not give any more power to those that were beneath it.
I was intrigued by this project because it played with a dual meaning of the word "power" and was able to convey such a complex issue in a simple and entertaining way. I think this project alludes to a greater link between generative art and sculpture, one that can react to viewers and change its behavior accordingly. To take this piece even further, I think it would be exciting to be able to combine different hierarchical structures and see how they interact with one another - how a monarchy influences a democracy and the vying for power between them.
The artists behind automato are Simone Rebaudengo, Matthieu Cherubini, Saurabh Datta and Lorenzo Romagnoli. Their work often deals with the ethics of technology, and the idea of how technology can be used to reflect human ethics.
