Metahaven: The Sprawl

For their exhibition at YBCA, Amsterdam based design and research studio Metahaven debut the first gallery presentation of their new film project, The Sprawl. In an immersive video installation that explores the mutation of propaganda in the age of social media, the project investigates the recent Ebola outbreak, the conflict between Ukraine and Russia, and the rise of the Islamic State (ISIS) through the internet and traditional news media. Unlike previous eras, where the state continuously enforces one propagandistic message to the public, the example of these three crises reveals how propaganda now exists within a horizontal field of instant, multiple messages. Founded by Vinca Kruk and Daniel van der Velden, Metahaven uses graphic design, identity branding, and product development as a means to investigate existing commercial and political power structures. The Sprawl is co-produced by Lighthouse and commissioned by Lighthouse and The Space.