On July 19, 2024, the global CrowdStrike Windows crash caused failure in millions of computers worldwide. This produced images of blue screens that stood out sharply against an often dreary, mundane reality.
These photos reminded me of Yves Klein’s IKB monochromes. Yves describes these as resembling “the blue sky, which seems to devour everything, to engulf everything, It has monumental tranquility.”
These could be works of art instead of technology failures, purposefully and joyfully displayed as technological monochromes; pure objects of color.
For example the Stedelijk Museum boasts an impressive video screen in its central hall. I propose an engaging and profound project to display this blue color, devoid of any additional information, as an autonomous monochrome. This would transform the screen from a mere display device into an independent artwork. The experience would be disorienting, yet it would function similarly to Klein’s monochromes—serving as fields of infinite possibilities while highlighting the physical reality of the here and now.
This project could integrate with the existing video program, alternating between fragments from the video art collection, exhibition announcements, and this autonomous color, which is essentially about color itself. Alternatively, it could be the image displayed during the last 5 minutes of the museum’s opening hours, reminding and inspiring visitors to seek the sky and freedom outside.
Ofcourse this installation is not necessarily limited to the Stedelijk Museum. I would love all the digital ABRIs on trainstations to turn blue once in a while, or the digital billboards in the city. It would force people to see these screens as physical objects, make them realize that these are technology, can actually display anything, and that what is normally displayed is not the only reality.
As an artist, my long-standing research focuses on the significance of specific colors, particularly in conjunction with certain artists, artworks or art movements. I think this project seamlessly aligns with my practice.