Artist Statement

The algorithmic project, Google Village (2012), was originally an AutoComplete clock to present various topics around the world. It utilized the Google AutoComplete feature to break its inherent limitation. Even though the AutoComplete words can manipulate users’ perspectives and activities on the Internet, they were reversely able to help users broaden their views by visiting another country’s Google website. However, in 2017, Google started showing users the same AutoComplete words based on their location regardless of a variety of countries’ Google sites. A new version of Google Village (2018) explores Google users’ isolation by AutoComplete words in the World Wide Web.

• Byeongwon Ha (Republic of Korea) is a researcher and artist in interactive art. He wrote his dissertation about a history of interactive art based on Nam June Paik’s music background. He participated in Art.CHI II workshop in CHI2016 in San Jose, California. He presented several papers about interactive art at the International Symposium on Electronic Art: ISEA2014 in Dubai, ISEA2015 in Vancouver, ISEA2016 in Hong Kong, and ISEA2017 in Manizales. He also exhibited several interactive pieces at ISEA2017 and at SIGGRAPH Asia 2012 in Singapore. bwonha.com