Transforming The 2016 Election Into A Hieronymus Bosch-Like Video Game

October 20, 2016

In the wake of an ongoing national nightmare (the sentient Cheeto refuses to leave America alone), it's good to laugh. Its also, obviously, an excellent time for reactionary art. And thus Kenneth Tin-Kin Hung, a Hong Kong-born artist who's been playing with the internet, politics, censorship and satire for years, feels more relevant than ever. His latest series, #ShitWars -The Shit Awakens, puts a pop culture spin on the election (it began with aptly casting Bernie Sanders as Yoda) in the form of an interactive game across eight pages of a website. According to Hung’s artist statement, the project “appropriates and deconstructs the misogynistic, racist and sexist internet memes and imageries found [on] Social Media. The goal is to document and examine how both left wing and right wing uses populism to their advantages in 2016 presidential election.”

#ShitWars is both obvious and incredibly dense, each page layered with hundreds of design quirks and references—users can play with a Walking Dead-esque Ted Cruz Wrecking Ball while listening to the strains of Queen Ifrica’s “Daddy Don’t Touch Me There,” Putin does the Carlton to DMX, and in the wake of Pussygate, a flag that once read "Grand Ole Party" now states "Grab Our Pussy." You can grab money emojis and spin them around a Cersei Lannister-style Hillary Clinton, have candidates’ half-desiccated faces swirl around you. It’s like an 8-bit Hieronymous Bosch work set in the hellscape that is 2016.

The site is a continuation of the work Hung has been making for years. He was raised in Hong Kong after his grandmother and father fled Mainland China during the Great Leap Forward, and as such, he feels a certain amount of social responsibility; #ShitWars is in line with his internet art, videos, and installations that have criticized censorship, global surveillance, and the War on Terror. For his Make It Rain project, Hung created his own currency, available for purchase in bundles of 50 notes; 50% of the proceeds are then donated to kiva.org, an organization that lends money to entrepreneurs in the developing world. He gifted me one, with the money going to the Jubilant Kenya Mariakani, which distributes clean cookstoves.

It’s hard to picture Hung working offline-he even named his dog Wiki. "She's an open source," he says. "She eats everything." He is constantly pushing for new ways to work with tech, saying that there’s always, “new ground to be broken.” But he also owns a wine shop, The Winey Neighbor, near his home in Brooklyn, where he volunteers on a neighborhood cleanup crew. So over a glass of Crémant, we sat down to talk about his very funny, very prescient work.

Tell me about #ShitWars.

I’ve been making this kind of art for a long time, and it’s not necessarily political criticism, it’s more like a documentary—like a time capsule. I’m trying to get all the ugly stuff and squeeze it together to create political eye candy. With #ShitWars, I’m making fun of Donald Trump, but I’m also making fun of Hillary Clinton. And there are all different elements, from Internet memes to political phrases. So I try to squeeze things together from both sides of the argument, and in that way [all people] can relate to it.

So people shouldn’t read into your work as in support of one candidate in particular?

I’m personally a Bernie Sanders supporter.

Makes sense. He is shown as Yoda.

[Laughs] Yes. I’ve never seen a politician with so much integrity when it comes to a campaign. He didn’t take money from a Super PAC, or big corporations.

You’re from Hong Kong, but are you a US citizen now?

Yes.

So who will you be voting for?

At this point, there’s no way I’m voting for Donald Trump, and I don’t think I’ll vote for Jill Stein because that would give Donald Trump an edge. This is one of those classic things, where you have to vote for the “lesser evil.” Not that I think Hillary’s evil, but I disagree with her on a lot of things. For example, her support of the war in Iraq, being pro-fracking, NAFTA deals, her connections with Wall Street—these are reasons I wouldn’t vote for her, but obviously I have to, because of Donald Trump.

Do you have a personal favorite page?

My favorite is the first page, which says “Make America White Again.” It’s so timely now, because those tapes just came out where Trump says “grab them by the pussy,” and so I made a page that lets everybody grab him by the dick. [Laughs] And the page gives me chills, because a lot of his supporters, like the KKK, the NRA, David Duke, you name it, they really believe [this rhetoric], and make so many racist comments against minorities.

So, obviously this work is interactive, and it feels very now, but also very Web 1.0. Do you have favorite video games that you played when you were a kid?

Some 8-bit stuff, like Mario Brothers, Double Dragon. I like video games, but the web is a really interesting thing. I had this website, way back, called 111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111. And back in the day it was really popular. It got to a point where it was hacked so many times that my server didn’t want to host it anymore. They told me at the time that I was the most trafficked website on the server, and we got like 30 million hits. At the time, the internet only had 200 million users, so it was huge. So for me, this new website is like an homage to that earlier one. When I first started creating websites, it was just for fun, and then September 11th happened. I wasn’t here, I was in San Francisco, but it prompted me to learn about a lot about American foreign policy and political action. It made me head in a more interactive political direction.

With my other work, I do video, installations, things like that, and it’s really tough to show in a gallery, because obviously a big part of that is that things are for sale. But with something like [#ShitWars], I worked really hard on it, and I’m not asking for any money. I just want people to see it. I’m really passionate about it; because of this work I got a pinched nerve, I couldn’t move my finger, I was just working like 16 hours a day to get it done. I’d definitely get cross-eyed. [Laughs] But for me, it’s really important, because we can’t have Donald Trump be our next president, there’s no way. So I’ve got to keep adding and working on this. I’ve really designed it to work anywhere—phone, tablet, computer, anywhere in the world. Anyone can use it. I tried my best for everybody.

The internet is the only voice for Chinese now, so I want to document it, and show people the power of it. There’s not one person behind it—there’s a collective force.

I love the way your work plays with puns and homonyms protesting internet censorship in China. Could you tell me about your series with Mao?

That’s a big series. I’m Chinese, and I follow a lot of the human rights issues in China. People just disappear. A lot of things happen. And in Chinese culture there are a lot of things about saving face, and people just don’t speak up. I’m proud that I did it, but it’s evolved so much from then to now. For me, the most intriguing thing is how people create a secret code, a secret language, to avoid censorship. There’s the “Great Firewall of China:” you type in “Tianamen Square” and nothing shows up. So for me, what’s most fascinating is how people use references and mythological creatures to avoid censorship. And it’s really funny, too. For example, you can’t say “fuck you.” So people will use a picture of a French-Croation squid, because [the word sounds like] “Fa Ke You.” It’s a homonym. It’s a secret code, and I’m fascinated by it. I want to document it, because not a lot of people know about it [in the West].

The choice to depict Chairman Mao is because, to be honest, people in the Western world don’t know much about Deng Xiaoping. If I put him in a video, people won’t actually know who he is. So Chairman Mao is interesting, because I’ll talk to Chinese people and they’ll say, “Why Chairman Mao? China is not the same anymore.” I totally agree, but at the same time, you can still use this iconography to convey the message. Kind of like what Andy Warhol did.

What was the reaction like from people in China?

I think it’s actually banned in China, or at least it was a few years ago. You can’t see most of those images there, or “scale the wall,” so to speak. And I read some of the reviews, and someone said that I’m “consumed by Western ideology,” and that I’m “selling out my country.” I guess he thought that I was being a puppet for the West. But I don’t believe it, because you have millions of Chinese using the same imagery, the same memes. I’m just documenting it for the West. I’m proud of what I did.

It’s quite a critique.

It was. But I love China, and that’s why I did it. You have to highlight human rights issues. There was a case where a principal [abducted and molested students], and a teacher delivered them to him. That’s fucked up! And things like that happen! And you have human rights lawyers trying to defend people, and they go to jail. It’s terrible. Cases like that happen all the time. The system is crumbling. Because of the Cultural Revolution, people don’t trust each other, in a way. There’s a lot of scandal, a lot of corruption. But I believe that China can be bigger. It’s already getting stronger, the population is more educated now. But the thing is that exercising justice by the people is different from here. Here, you have a voice. There, if there’s a big gathering, they send the riot police.

So for me, it’s very important to show the West how it works there. There are all these villages that are being taken over with eminent domain—although that’s not the right way to say it, because they don’t [have that exact law]. All these things are happening, but locally there’s no voice. The internet is the only voice for Chinese now, so I want to document it, and show people the power of it. There’s not one person behind it—there’s a collective force. Think about five fingers. You have one finger, it doesn’t do anything; five fingers, it’s a fist and you can punch something.

Interview by Jocelyn Silver

Images courtesy of Kenneth Tin-Kin Hung. Check out #ShitWars - The Shit Awakens here.

Art

LIA LIA by Iga Drobisz

Your work often explores intimacy and vulnerability. How do you create a safe and authentic environment for your subjects during a shoot?

The past few months, I’ve been working on two series of photographs: nudes of women in their own apartments and portraits of women before and after giving birth. Both series involve capturing them in deeply personal spaces—bedrooms or nurseries—where they feel at ease.

Shooting in their spaces, in their own beds, plays a crucial role in creating comfort. I choose film and cameras that show them in a way they find beautiful and empowering, emphasizing softness and warmth. It's a stark contrast to modern, hyper-detailed phone cameras that sometimes reveal more than one wants to see.

Your photography has a distinct emotional depth and texture. How do you approach the interplay of light, color, and composition to achieve this?

My process is highly intuitive. I’ve never formally studied photography or apprenticed under anyone—I learned by experimenting and seeing what felt right. It’s about trusting my instincts rather than adhering to rigid rules.

What role do personal experiences or cultural influences play in shaping the stories you tell through your images? Many of your photographs feel deeply narrative.

Growing up, I was surrounded by great cinematography. My grandmother had a TV, but my mom only brought home VHS tapes—films with substance. I think that exposure shaped how I see the world, how I approach subjects, and the narrative depth in my work.

What role does spontaneity play in your shoots? Do you leave room for improvisation, or is everything carefully planned?

To balance spontaneity and structure, I go in with a clear plan and strong direction, but I remain open to surprises. It’s about letting the subject feel like the shoot is about them, not me. That openness often leads to the most unexpected, meaningful moments.

What inspired the shoot with singer LIA LIA? How did it come together?

Collaborating with Ruby and Naomi always takes me out of my comfort zone in the best way. For this shoot, we wanted to transform someone with an iconic face but also someone like Lia—someone with a clear sense of self.

Giving her a completely new look was exciting; it brought an unexpected energy to the set. The approach was playful and experimental. The night before, I had no idea what wigs Ruby would bring or what colors Naomi might choose. It was a beautiful mix of spontaneity and collaboration.

What inspires you the most?

Movies and music are big inspirations for me, as well as the work of other photographers like Carlijn Jacobs, Harley Weir, Rineke Dijkstra, Charlotte Wales, and Nan Goldin.

What emotions or truths are the hardest for you to express through your art, and why?

I don’t think I consciously try to express specific emotions when I work. Instead, I follow what feels right in the moment—what draws me in or excites me that day. It’s less about a deliberate expression and more about letting intuition guide the way.

Art

Luna Luna: Surrealist Spectacle Lands in New York

November 21, 2024

In the 1980s, André Heller, an Austrian artist, singer-songwriter, and former actor, was looking for a new place to showcase his art. He had already taken to gardens, creating a colorful, surrealistic character using 40,000 flowers, and to the skies, organizing a 'fire theatre,' which involved an over-the-top fireworks show complete with steel-frame sculptures set on fire. But he had never tried out a fair.

So began "Luna Luna." Created as the world's first art carnival, "Luna Luna" combined the spectacular with the absurd, showcasing original rides and attractions from rising and already-at-the-top artists in Hamburg. Nearly forty years since its debut, followed by foiled plans for a worldwide tour, breached contracts, and 44 storage containers, the art fair has finally returned, calling New York home after re-debuting last year in Los Angeles.

By Hailey Johnson
Photography by Delvin Claro and Sabrina Sarnitz, courtesy of Luna Luna LLC

On a recent evening in Hudson Yards, a small carousel featured characters in quirky, Twister-like poses and an outstretched dog with seven legs. (Almost a century old, the rides are no longer rideable.) Goofy wooden sculptures were elevated in another corner, some of them cross-eyed or with a horn for a nose. A geodesic dome glowed, with Gregorian chants hovering somewhere above it.

"It's an art experience like no other," Michael Goldberg, Chief Experience Officer of Luna Luna, said recently. "People get to see artists do things they've never done before," he added.

Goldberg, founder of Something Special Studios, a creative agency behind many Nike campaigns, was determined to resurrect “Luna Luna” after reading about it online in 2019. Goldberg shopped for investors, eventually teaming up with DreamCrew, a media company co-owned by the rapper Drake. (Details on the company's investment remain vague; sources have reported that DreamCrew spent over "100 million dollars.") In 2022, an intensive restoration process began, with a team of artists reviving many of the original works, which had remained in boxes in a Texas warehouse for over thirty years. Several had been in pieces. (The team reportedly had to rebuild each work "bolt by bolt.")

That night, at the Shed, fourteen out of the original thirty-five works were on display, including the small carousel (Keith Haring), the goofy sculptures (Kenny Scharf), the neon dome (Salvador Dali), and a towering Ferris wheel decorated in drawings of stick figures, upside crowns, and references to Jim Crow (Basquiat). Missing works are in a "constant state of restoration," Goldberg said. Meanwhile, new attractions are joining the line-up. For the New York show, the Puerto Rican duo Poncilí Creación was commissioned to create "PonciliLand," a blink-and-you-miss-it section where guests "can create fantastical characters out of custom building blocks." Poncili also developed floating characters, inspired by performers who circulated the original “Luna Luna” fairgrounds in 1987. Known as "Lovers," the two characters, large and dreamlike, teetered to one side, mumbling the kind of nervous groans one does before a fall. (They never ended up falling.)

I asked Goldberg if, given that today's culture doesn't quite look or feel the same way as it did in 1987, there was any hesitation in showing some of the original works. On a back wall, a tribute featured Manfred Diex's "Palace of the Wind," a show featuring performers who fart into a microphone; on another, two ornate pedestals held sculptures of spiral poop.

"I don't see any reason why we wouldn't show any of these works," he said. "A lot of the time, art is exclusive and uninviting. The big difference between “Luna Luna” and other art experiences is that it has many sides to it, and things that have a bit of humor and playful energy. "As for "Palace of the Winds,” the decision to keep it was simple: farting is universal. He went on: "The “Crap Chancellery" is, conceptually, one of the most important works in “Luna Luna.” Daniel Spoerri's dad was killed in the Holocaust, and the work was inspired by Albert Speer, who was Hitler's architect. He took the facade of what was meant to be a Nazi shrine and turned it into the facade of a bathroom with two steaming statues of shit standing on the outside. These works are extremely important and are things that we would definitely want to honor and draw attention to."

As “Luna Luna” further develops, the show will likely change. "It will continue to evolve as we go to different cities in response to the spaces that we pop up into and in collaboration with the local city," Goldberg said." With it, there will be new characters and new stories to tell. One aspect that won't change, though, as Goldberg assured, is a long-held sentiment about a potential partnership. At one point, early on during the original “Luna Luna” era, McDonald's wanted to buy into it. Heller said no, adding that he "didn't want it to feel like Disneyland." Goldberg agreed. Nonetheless, as I watched Kenny Scharf's dizzying swing ride go around for what felt like the hundredth time, with the cartoon characters decorated on it blurring together (one with a villain's grin, another morphed into a martini glass), I couldn't help but feel like maybe I was at Disneyland, only not as robbed, but just as entertained and exhausted by its rides and fantastical characters, and wanting to go again.

Luna Luna, Hamburg, Germany, 1987.

Art

Pamela Sneed’s Speaking Tongue opens at Dashwood Projects

November 15, 2024

Pamela Sneed’s latest exhibition, Speaking Tongue, will be on view at Dashwood Projects from November 20 to December 21. The show features twenty watercolor and ink paintings inspired by her recent trip to Kenya, where she was deeply moved by the elegance of giraffes, the landscapes, and the energy of Nairobi.

Blending her background as a poet and visual artist, Sneed’s work reflects on themes of identity, nature, and connection. Her paintings capture the beauty and spirit of the animals she encountered, alongside reflections on her own experiences as part of the African diaspora.

This exhibition marks Sneed’s first solo show with Dashwood Projects and will be accompanied by a new book, also titled Speaking Tongue, to be released in December.