SteveMcQueen,Shame,2011,35mm,color,101minutes.Brandon(MichaelFassbender).

FORMOSTARTISTSTODAY,thelaptopandphonehavealreadysupplantedthestudioas primarysitesofproduction.Earlysignsofthisshiftwereevidentinwhatbecameknownas relationalaesthetics,which,inretrospect,seemswronglydefinedasapracticeinwhich communalexperiencebecamethemedium.Itismoreproperlyunderstood,rather,asa capitalistrealistadaptationofarttotheexperienceeconomy,obviously,butalsotothenew productiveimperativetogomobile,asabodyandapractice.Inotherwords,community declareditselfamediumattheverymomentthatitwaslayingitselfopentodisplacementsit couldneversurvive.Meanwhile,exhibitionswereplannedonlaptops,thendraggedanddropped intoinstitutions.Worktookadiscursiveturn,meaningitwasnowefficientlydistributableona globalscale.Inthemid1990s,thefigureoftheartist,too,seemedtoundergoadecisive mutation:TheMargielacladPowerBookuserwasmorenomadicandadaptivethanhis antecedents,smootherandmoreagreeable,betterorganizedandmoreinstantlyconnectedwith othermembersoftheburgeoningcreativeclassthathademergedonthefrontlinesofeconomic

deregulation.Thecontemporaryartistnowfunctionedasasortoflubricant,asbothatouristand atravelagentofart,followingthenewlyliberatedflowsofcapitalwhileseemingalwaystobejust tempingwithinthenonstoptempoofincreasinglyflexible,dematerializedprojects,alwaysjust passingthrough.Thiswasallvaguelypolitical,too,inaNegristsortofwaythatpromotedthe emancipatorypossibilitiesofconnectionandcommunication,linkingthenewspeedofcultureto theconvivialspiritofeverythingrelational.Themutationoftheartistcontinuedtofollowits irrevocablelogicuntilweeventuallyarrivedatthefullywireless,fullyprecarious, Adderallenhanced,manicdepressive,postorhyperrelationalfigurewhoismorenetworked thaneverbutwhopresentlyexhibitssignsofpanicanddisgustwithaspeedofconnectionthat wecannolongereitherchooseorescape.Hyperrelationalaestheticsemergedbetween9/11 andthecreditcrisisandsocanbesquarelysituatedinrelationtothecollapseoftheneoliberal economy,ormoreaccuratelytothesituationofitsdrawnoutlivingdeath,sinceneoliberalism continuestoprovideboththecauseandtheonlyavailablecureforitsownepicfailure. Nofeasibleorevenrecognizableformofpoliticalengagementappearsonthehyperrelational horizon,andnorealhorizoneither,soweengagespeeditself,attemptingtooverflowgiven spacesofpoliticswiththedisruptiveforceoftheleak.Ifrelationalartaestheticizedcommunity,it didsoinadecadentway,readingDebordsSocietyoftheSpectacleinthecontextofThatchers ThereisnosuchthingassocietyandDeleuzeinadvanceofeflux.Forthepostrelationalartist, however,nothingismoredetestablethansmart,spreadableconviviality,becausetheproblem nowisthattogethernesscannolongerbeexperiencedoutsideofaesthetics,andtheresno moreavoidingthefactthatisolationhasbeensystematicallydesignedintoconnectivity. Nowadays,networksarereferencedandtheorizedadnauseam,butnolongerwithanyutopian sentimentsattached.Lastyear,wereadaboutTwitterrevolutionsinthemainstreampressatthe sametimethatweskimmedjournalssuchasCollapseandSic,belatedtranslationsofTiqqun, andthescifinovelsofMauriceDantec(postWorldscenariosinvolvinghumansbecoming modems,theterminallossoflanguageandbodies).TherewasalsoOccupy,whichseemedlike itcouldhavebeenanythingaviralinsurrection,anaggressivelypeopledkindoflivestream,a generalstrikeuntilitwassurroundedbypoliceandboggeditselfdownindemocraticprocess. Still,apermanentfaultlinemayhavebeenproducedinthatmoment,inasmuchasthereturnto normalhasntbeenentirelyconvincingeither. Thenetworkdisgustthatsexperiencedbyeventhemostpositivemindedartiststodayis capturedinourcontinuedabuseofthememeLOL,whichbecomesevermoreapplicablein directcorrelationtothedegreethatweoverkillitandwearitout.Notevenaword,thetermitself performsthelossoflanguageandoflaughter,even.Itsadisembodiedandthusefficiently transmissibleabbreviationoflaughterthatinitsrepetitionseemstorevealboththeecstasyand theanxietyofournonstopdisplacementwithinsocialmedia.Anoverwritten,highbrowpress releaseaboutnetworksmaybeLOL.OraJPEGofaknowinglyfailedpainting.ButmostlyLOL signalstheamputationoflaughterfromthebodyanditsrecodingasthesilent,poisondartlike flightofapostwordwithinanetwork.Themoreweabuseit,themoreitfunctionsasthe postlaughterofwitminusbodies,alwayssomehowaimedatthebadfaithofpostcommunal connectivity.

ViewofContextMessage,2012,ZachFeuerGallery,NewYork.Fromleft:TrevorShimizu,Spa CastleDetail,2010TrevorShimizu,SpaCastle,2010LolaPettway,HousetopMedallion,2004Martin Kippenberger,KolnsFlocken,ca.1980ElaineReichek,Sampler(Othello),2001UllHohn,Untitled,1993 NicolasGuagnini,ResponsiveEye(Bridget7),2012.

Backhomeaftertheopeningofasummergroupshowaboutnetworkedpainting(atZach FeuerGalleryinNewYork),Imstillgettingmyheadaroundtheexhibitionstitle,Context Message.AsidefromapossiblereferencetotheKontextKunstcontextoftheearly1990sand towhateverfaded,vaguelyLOLechoesitmaybeproducinginthecyberneticnoncontextof BerlinNewYorknow,mostlyImthinking,Whatelsecouldthemessagebebutthatnetworks havedecidedlyreplacedcontext,andthattheonlycriticaloptionremainingistopresentarttoday asastomachdigestingitselfinpublic,inrealtime?Exceptthatthestomachisanetworkand thereisnomorepublic,becausecitiesarejustconvenientlyimpossibleplacestohangoutwhile artpretendstofinishitselfoffforgood.Inotherwords,itsashowabouthyperrelational decadenceintheageofhighspeedconnectivity,withrealpaintingsbyMichaelKrebber,Merlin Carpenter,JuttaKoether,BjarneMelgaard,andR.H.Quaytman,aswellasbythe nextgenerationgalleristsandbloggerswhokeeptheseandothernamesvaguelyviralwhileat thesametimeinflictingLOLdegreesofinsecurityonthem,oronthenotionoftheartistprofile, meanwhilecastingseriousdoubtonthepossibilityofpositivelyinhabitingsomethinglikea contextornetwork(orcity,forthatmatter).TheotherLOLmessagehereisthatnetworkis bothacriticalhottopicandashamelesslywithitwayofsellingpaintingsinthiseconomicEndof

Days:Notonlydoyougetthispaintingthing,youalsogeteverythingitsconnectedtoadirect linktosomethinglikeextrinsicvalue,thegeneralintellectofaninvisiblepostcommunity.Its difficulttosaywhichoftheseartistsismostfavorablypositionedwithintheselfterrorizing, selftrollingspiderwebofContextMessage,butthejokewereallinonhastodowithhow paranoidandinsecuretheartisthasbecomewithinthenoncontextweveinheritedfrom relationalaesthetics,theLOLthingtodowiththisfeelingbeingtoreblogitaspainting. Baudelaireanspleenordisgustasapoeticchannelwasalwaysconnectedtoanideaof modernbeauty,wasmaybeevenitspreferredmedium.Anychannelingofbeautytodaywould havetooccurinrelationtocrisisandthesublimeofviralinsecurity.Theoutmodingofthestudio andpossiblyevenoftheartistherself,aswedeliverourhumancapacitiesovertonetwork speed,providesthestrangenewconditionsunderwhichanycomingaestheticsmustemerge. Sowewillhavetomakepoetryofthefactthatlanguagedoesnotsurvivespeed.WasntPaul VirilioalreadyapproachingsomethinglikeanartofspeedandcatastropheinbookssuchasThe AestheticsofDisappearance(1980)andTheAccidentofArt(2005)?Thepoststudiohas becomethenonsiteofproductionascirculation,withsomesortofartistpluggedintoit.Viathis connection,thefigureoftheartistherselfdematerializes,becomesaprofileviral,bloggable, friendable,anddefriendablehermostabstractworkbeingherself,orherownconnectivity.And theresnowaytoseparatethemobilizationofthisabstract,disappearingartistfromthewider, systemic(andsomewouldsayanthropological)crisiswearelivingthroughnow:Thetwo phenomenaarelinkedtothesameautomatisms,installedwithinthesamefuturelessnotimeof cybernetworks.WewonderwhetherartispossibleafterFacebook(and,forthatmatter,whether evenFacebookispossibleafterFacebook).Iftheartisttodayisasortoffriend,shealways alreadyincludesthepossibilityofbeinganonfriendorabadfriend.Nextlevelspleen,inother words,isalsolinkedtothethreatofdefriendingthatsimplicitinfriending.Itstheaffective registerofundecidablefriendshipwithinthehyperrelationalnetworksthatenmeshusso exintimatelytoday,inthispanicked,postlaughtermomentofbloggerterror.Networksare themselvesdelirious,paranoidstructuresweallknowthattheycanbeamediumforbetrayal, too. Somerecentmoviesdeploycharacterswhocouldbestandinsforthepostrelationalartist. ThereisMichaelFassbendersdepressivesexaholicinShame,whoconnectswithallNewYork womenwhileretreatingintoevermoreharrowingexperiencesofremotenessandnarcissistic exile.TherearethehighspeedcouplesoflastyearsnearlyidenticalromcomsFriendswith BenefitsandNoStringsAttached,whodetachinordertoconnectmoreefficiently,constructing ahandyiCouplewithinthenotimeofthemetropolitaninterface.TheresalsoCharlizeTherons alcoholicteenromancewriterinYoungAdult,who,whensheventuresoutofthesolitary confinementofherhighrisehomeoffice,isconfrontedwiththefactthatreallifeconnectionisno longeravailabletoher:She(ortheworld,oradulthood)isalreadytoofargone.Allofthesecases involvesuccessfulprofessionalsexiledinthemidstoftheirownhyperrelationalactivities,whove lostthepossibilityofexperiencingothernessexceptinthebanal,flattenedouttermsofthe screenprofile,whocanonlyinterfaceanddataroam,whetheronlineorinbed.Theabstraction ofthebodywithinthescreenlikevoidofthesocialisperformedbyactorswhoseemtoSkype

theirgesturesandtweettheirlines,reformattingactingforthewindowlikestagesofNetspace. Theseareperformancesofdistributedaffect.

ViewofStewartUoo:LifeIsJuicy,2012,47Canal,NewYork.Fromleft:DontTouchMe(OilSpill), 2012DontTouchMe(BikrahmYoga),2012Confessions(9Women),2012.Photo:JoergLohse.

Iftoworkandcommunicateasartiststodayistoextendthiscybercapitalistdesolationand contributetothediseaseofmetropolitantogetherness,itseemsinevitablethatwevearrivedat aspleneticexperienceofabstraction.Whatevercommunitywesharenowistheonethat constantlysabotagesitself:theanticommunityofnetworkedsouls.FrancoBerardiandothers havewrittenaboutadepressiveepidemicthatsbothsymptomaticofandstructurallyintegralto capitalismsdevelopmentasaninfosphere,toeconomicderegulationunderconditionsof highspeedexchange.Theposthumanspeedofcirculationmeansthattheworldnowescapes ourcapacityforattentionandthatwevelostourtimeforotherness,andthereforeforourselves. Underthepresentdispensation,connectionisdefinedasthefunctionalrelationshipbetween formattedmaterialsorcomponents.Vianetworks,humanrelationsarereformattedtothepure syntaxoftheoperatingsystem.Inotherwords,bodiesbecomedesingularizedastimeand attentionareextracted(fracked)fromthelivingperson.Andasadefensivereflex,wedisconnect inthemidstofcommunication,meaningwedepressourselves,shutdown,maketime.Thetitle ofBerardisbookTheSoulatWork(2009)suggestsasequel:TheSoulonStrike,inwhich individualizeddepressionswouldlinkuptoformachannelormediumforaradicalinterruption. Occupydepression?

Thenetworkedartiststartsfromthefactofbeingahumanmediumformetropolitancirculation andamodemforlargelyungovernablecybercapitalistprocesses.Normally,wheneverythings runningsmoothly,mediadisappearonus,retreatingintotheirownefficiency,butintimesof crisistheybecomestrangelyperceptibleagain.Systemiccrisiscouldbeamirrorfor hallucinatingtheartistaschannel,thescreenthatrevealstheextenttowhichourpracticesare thecrisistoo.Wegetthefeelingthatwehaventtrulybeguntoinhabitnetworks,thatmore ecstaticandcatastrophicmodesofinterconnectionremaintobetested.Concatenationisaterm thatsometimescomestomindwhentryingtodescribethecreativityofmachinicprocesses.As ouractivitiescontinuetoconcatenatewithprogramsandnetworks,theproductionofworks seemslessandlesstheresultofindividualartistscreativeeffortsandmorelikeaswarming, hivelikewayofdoingandmakingwherebyourgesturesbecomeinseparablenotonlyfromthose ofothersbutfromtheautomatismsthatallowustointerfacewithourownworkandwithone another.Howcanweproceedfromthefeelingthatourworksalreadydispossessand excommunicateusasartistsandpersons?Andwhatcomesaftertherealizationthat contemporaryartistsnolongerholdamonopolyoncreativity?Everythingseemstosuggestthat theonlywayforartiststosurvivetheirownprecarityisbytakingittothelimit,riskingtheirown definition.Inventingthegesturesthatoutrunandscrambleourownontologicalcoordinates, overflowingpresetsubjectiveandproductiveformats,weworktowardunleashingotherness withincommunication,andcommunicationbeyondtheprofile.* Asitmobilizesandgainsspeed,artbecomesalotmorelikewhatliteratureoncewas(whichis astrangethoughtnow,whenliteratureisitselfbeingsupersededbydigitalculture):Initstime, literaturewasamassiveinfoleakthaterodeddisciplinaryhierarchies,overflowingnational bordersandpropertylinesalike.Whyshouldartremainconfinedtothechanneloftheartist,the gallery,andtheobject?Relationalaestheticswasprobablyalreadyaskingthesamequestion, butnotinaconvincingway.Astechnologicalprocessesconcatenatewithhumandesires, producingmutationsthatalwaysseemtooccurattheouterlimitsofboththeinhabitablecityand ourowncapacityforattention,todisconnectwhileleakingcouldbeahyperrelationalattitude. Spleen,thatresistantaffectwhichremainswhenallothershavebeenchanneledasproductive labor,surroundsnetworksbutwontbeputtoworkinthem.Avoidingbothformatsand employment,spleenmakestimefortheartistaftertheartist. JohnKelseyisacontributingeditorofArtforum.
*Forexample,inthepressreleaseforLifeIsJuicy,StewartUoosexhibitionthispastsummerat47Canal inNewYork,theartistandhiscowriter,JulianaHuxtable,narrateanexperienceofidentityandgender mutationviatheavatarsofultraviolentvideogames.Here,manmachineconcatenationunleashesa fearsomecybervaginathatgoestowaragainstphallicorderanddoublesasastrategyforseducing realworldboys.Peopledwithcharred,shreddedmannequinsthattranslatehisdigitalheroinesinto sculpturalterms,Uoosexhibitionmapsanecstatic,chaoticspaceinbetweenthatofthegalleryandthe game,viaanarrativethatrebootsbodilyhumantimewithinscreentime.