Offline Art: Manifesto

Nothing lasts forever and nothing should. Art should be considered the same way – it falls in and out of our lives, is activated by energy, events, emotions, and other forms of subconscious resonance. When art has served its purpose, its energy should be transferred or returned to the continuum to fuel more art. This balance has been interrupted by art collecting, the internet, and other forms of materially-oriented archiving, artificial permanence, and commodification. At its core, Online Art is often immediately treated as a commodity or potential commodity of commerce. This mentality blurs the distinction between art – where an individual or group expresses their truth through an abstract medium – and the more disposable, gratification-oriented, forgettable, devoid-of-meaning and unemotional “content,” oriented towards generating “engagement” and ultimately profit. This muddling of meanings robs art of its value; its cultural value, its contribution to society, and the value of the labor associated with its creation. In doing so, we allow the grinding-stone of commerce to mute and dull our self-expression, our growth, our communication, and our potential for community and connection. 

Making OFFLINE ART is a form of resistance, of power, of contributing societal value and furthering culture. By creating tangible, ephemeral, experiential, physical art, we harness the inherent value of physical materials to capture value, to rebuild the inherent value of art in the viewer’s mind, and to rebuild the sense of connection with another being. At its core, art is a form of communication – choose to talk to your neighbors, don’t yell into the void.