Created by the artist collective WERC (Olav Huizer, Joachim Rümke and Jelle Valk), The Voyeur Of Utter Destruction (As Beauty) is an interactive video-game installation that lets you buy an explosion. The more you pay the bigger the explosion.
We have a conflicting obsession with the excessive violence of destruction. Violence and destruction is something we as a society disapprove of or see as a necessary evil. But in movies, series and video games, explosions are extensively glorified with slow-motion shots where the camera lingers and shows it from all angles. Modern software used to create video games and special effects are optimized to develop stunning explosions as quickly as possible. Which is not surprising: the demand is huge. With this installation, we aspire for the audience to question their relationship with destruction as entertainment. How ethical is it to enjoy the spectacle of an explosion? Why do we so enjoy watching mass destruction of objects? And is it okay for an artist to make their money this way? The power to single-handedly undo something that has taken thousands of people years to build solves an inherent desire to have influence in a world in which we are powerless.
WERC
The installation runs continiously on a projection of 5x3m using a 7k projector. In addition, 1 RGBW LED DMX controlled spotlight enhances the effect of the explosion in the space. The animation/interactive environment was created using Unreal Engine 5, taking payments via a SumUp payment system.
via gamescenes / Photos: Nienke Maat
