Aram Bartholl
english / deutsch
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4 Google Portraits at 'Social Media' Pace Gallery NYC, 2011,


'Penelope Umbrico' Google search english ,70 x 70 cm, edding on paper


'Jason Smith' Google search english,70 x 70 cm, edding on paper


'Ai Weiwei' Google search chinese, 70 x 70 cm, charcoal on paper


'Aram Bartholl' Google search german, 70 x 70 cm, stamp ink on paper


Detail 'Ai Weiwei' Google search chinese


Detail 'Aram Bartholl' Google search german



Four Google self-protraits commissioned by Microwave Festival Hong Kong , 2009

















'Google Portrait', comission by Daniel Michelis 2007

Google Portrait Series
drawings
2007-2011

Four Google portraits at 'Social Media' PaceMcGill / Pace Gallery NYC, September 16 - October 15, 2011

'Penelope Umbrico' Google search english
70 x 70 cm, edding on paper

'Jason Smith' Google search english,
70 x 70 cm, edding on paper

'Ai Weiwei' Google search chinese,
70 x 70 cm, charcoal on paper

'Aram Bartholl' Google search german,
70 x 70 cm, stamp ink on paper


A Google Portrait is a drawing that shows the Google search request for a specific person in form of an encoded URL. Any smart phone is capable to decode the matrix-code with a barcode reader app. In returnt the software runs a Google search on the portrayed person and shows the result page in the browser. 'Vanity surfing' is a very popular way to make sure the Google result page doesn t show unwanted information. This very page with the 10 most important links represent the contemporary portrait of a person today. It is the first batch of information we learn about someone. It puts people in context of their acitivities and often also display pictures. The portrait dynamically changes over time depending on Googles algorithms. While the drawing of the QR code is static the activities of the portrait person result in a constantly chaning online identity.


Four Google self-portraits commissioned by Microwave Festival, Hong Kong, 2009. Each QR-code represents a visual encryption of a search on 'Aram Bartholl' in a specific language on Google.

'Aram Bartholl', Google search german
dimensions: 75 x 75 cm,
media: transparent paper, edding 850

'Aram Bartholl', Google search english
dimensions: 75 x 75 cm,
media: transparent paper, edding 750

'Aram Bartholl', Google search chinese
dimensions: 75 x 75 cm,
media: transparent paper stamp, stamp ink

'Aram Bartholl', Google search korean
dimensions:75 x 75 cm,
media: transparent paper, pastel chalk


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