DECODING POPULARITY

DECODING POPULARITY

Adva Kremer unravels and reinterprets the consequence popularity has on an artwork, transforming concept into entity. 



Textile artist Adva Kremer combines the ancient technique of weaving using a Jacquard loom with data-driven information sourced from Google trends to create woven interpretations of artwork. Her reproductions of renowned artworks range in pixelation based on data findings of how popular the artwork is. The higher public interest, the higher the artwork pixel resolution will be. Kremer is both perturbed and fascinated by consumerism and the ways in which art is given monetary value. According to the artist, often, the external factors that affect the price of art have nothing to do with the work itself. For her final project at Shenkar College of Engineering, Design and Art, Kremer created the Museum of Empiric Values, a system that uses Google analytics to decipher how many people have searched for a specific artwork. The algorithm then transforms that data into a pixelated output and a new version of the artwork. Her work is a jarring indication of where value comes from, its fragility and how it affects perception.  

Self-Portrait, Van Gogh, Jaquard Weaving