THE VALIDATION JUNKY

THE VALIDATION JUNKY is an ongoing research-led art project that investigates how identity, desirability, and the body are shaped and increasingly codified by digital infrastructures.

“It has transcended the modern critique of the Kardashians—that we often see them as being fake, or being a symptom of a certain type of malaise. When in reality, the post-digital sees all people like that: for the post-digital, we’re all Kardashians.”

Mark Jarzombek (USA) is a Professor of the History and Theory of Architecture, Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT)

“In psychological terms beauty is homoeostasis, so I would never want to be a perfect person or perfect being because if so, then I’d have no place to go.”

“I think that one of the beauties of speculation is that you can prototype and map out scientific “what ifs” and ask questions. What if this happens? Do we want it?”

Lucy McRae (UK/AUS) is a science fiction artist, filmmaker, inventor and body architect. She is a Visiting Professor at the Southern California Institute of Architecture (SCI_ARC)

“However, maybe we shouldn’t blame the algorithms, because people basically copy each other, don’t they? Very few people are original; maybe one in a million. Most people don’t have time to carve out their own path, or they aren’t brave enough to think for themselves— so they copy one other.”