Blast Theory are a group that create interactive art. Formed in 1991 by artists of different disciplines, they create art that sits between club culture, theatre and live music (though their work is different to theatre in that the artist directly engages with the audience). Their work often responds to areas of popular culture such as news stories, and their focus is on the audience’s experience.
Their influences include:
- Conceptual art/ performance
- Net art
- Interactive drama/ art games
- Immersive theatre
- Interactive art
Their aims are:
- Prompting critical engagement and debate
- Critiquing technology
- Exploring the city as a space
- Challenging who has a voice and which voices should be heard
Nick said “the location of the work is in the imagination of the audience”, and this shows how the artists of Blast Theory think of their audience as protagonist- they value their audience’s viewpoint as an intrinsic part of the art.
I was inspired by their piece called ‘My One Demand’, which is a 2015 interactive film where the artists filmed themselves walking through Toronto and speaking with people of successive generations about their lives and their political outlook. The artist met each of the protagonists at the Occupy protests in Toronto. To me, the piece highlighted the importance of listening and understanding others viewpoints, and the power of walking and simply occupying a space as a political act. It was filmed in one continuous shot and at the end, the audience were invited to contribute their own thoughts via an app, which became a part of the piece.
Notes taken from guest lecture given by Nick Tandavanitj, Artist, Blast Theory, 14/11/24 at Nottingham College. https://www.blasttheory.co.uk/