A Moment of Silence
<p>For his first web-based project, Cuban artist Wilfredo Prieto invites visitors to take part in a moment of silence via the internet, with no stipulations or expectations aside from the willingness to cede control of one’s computer while the minute is observed. Once launched, the ineluctable sixty seconds begin to pass. Your screen becomes black, and attempts to escape the moment with mouse or keyboard interaction are unheeded.</p> <p>Why would anyone agree to surrender control of the device that is so central to daily life? For many people, computers serve as the key repository of information and the primary conduit of communication. Requiring more trust than hurling one’s body down a Carsten Höller slide, Prieto is asking for temporary abdication. It’s a daring example of the pas de deux of artist and viewer in expanding art experiences ever further beyond the visual.</p>
Artists: Wilfredo Prieto