Museum of Modern Art ‘Talk to Me’ Exhibit Review
Sascha Nordmeyer’s prosthetic grimace resists too much glib interaction. By Blake Gopnik.
Photo by Sascha Nordmeyer, courtesy the Museum of Modern Art
The image of a “prosthetic grimace” is by Sascha Nordmeyer, in “Talk to Me,” the big show of interactive design now at the Museum of Modern Art. Overall, the show felt like it encouraged an unthinking embrace of “futuristic” technology, as though we were back at a 1950s World’s Fair. The “interactions” encouraged by the objects on display sometimes didn’t seem aimed at anything other than interaction–for its own sake and to show off its maker’s technological chops. That’s why I especially liked Nordmeyer’s red lips. They were conceived, the artist says, “for people who are insecure about their appearance and their social skills, and therefore feel compelled to seem excessively smart and communicative in every circumstance.” They push back against useless, glib interaction and encourage their users to make every word and look count.
View a full archive by visiting Blake Gopnik’s Daily Pic.
See more of our coverage in your search results.
Got a tip? Send it to The Daily Beast here.
Register below to read this article for free or subscribe
to unlock unlimited access to The Daily Beast.
Monthly
$1
First month then $5.99/month
Annual
$35
First year then $59.99/year
Premium
$79
First year then $119.99/year
*Substack access provided by the next business day, using your subscription email. Choosing the Premium plan constitutes your permission to share your subscription email with Substack and your agreement to Substack’s Privacy Policy.
Already have an account? Sign In
Looks like you already have a subscription!
You're all set!
Thanks for subscribing.