Emphatic Anti-Ad Devices

A critical perspective on an ad filled internet.

2021

Today, advertising is disguised and entangled with the recreational content we consume. The average person encounters more than 5000 ads a day. Most go unnoticed, so the abundance appears to be minimal. We continue to accept the practices within this grey space and the behaviour of its actors, while failing to acknowledge the contribution to consumerism and widespread over-consumption. Little consideration is given to the long-term effects on our environment and society.

This project sets out to challenge this space. We designed a series of provocative objects that expose and highlight different aspects of the problem. Although technically feasible, they are not intended to reach the user/audience as manufactured products, but as props to facilitate conversation, to be experienced in a physical installation and/or a digital documentation of a staged interaction.

September 2020 - Feburary 2021

Collaborators: Ruben Campillo

Acknowledgements: Dr. Katharina Pfützner, Robby Collins, Pedro Gil Farias.