Marc Lee
Bobi Wine vs Museveni, 12.01.2021
Conceived for the HEK Net Works series, the work Bobi Wine vs Museveni is a variation of Marc Lee’s former work Political Campaigns. What counts today are Likes and Retweets, who wanders across the screen as stars (Museveni) and hearts (Wine), fighting for victory. Whatever the end of the presidential election, it will be historic. Bobi Wine vs Museveni was visible from 12.01.2021 to 09.02.2021 here with these settings.
The online work Bobi Wine vs Museveni filters out the latest Twitter and YouTube messages containing the terms "Bobi Wine" and "Yoweri Museveni" and weaves them into a wild TV news programme (24/7). A net-based TV show that confronts us with opinions that do not always reflect variants of our own opinion. Robert Kyagulanyi Ssentamu, better known under his stage name Bobi Wine is a star for the youth in Uganda. He raps, does politics and, as the most promising presidential candidate, is a threat to Uganda's long-term president Yoweri Museveni. The election took place on 14 January 2021. Bobi Wine grew up in the digital revolution, has access to political activist strategies and creative expression. He uses the internet as a virtual public space where his followers come together, share their lives and ideas, open to comment and debate. There are several Ugandans within Uganda. With platforms like Twitter and YouTube we can take a look at what the real Uganda looks like and what it thinks. What do people in Uganda really say? What ideas do they project? What kind of discourse is taking place on these platforms around the presidential elections? Can the interplay of artistic and political activist strategies lead to democracy in Uganda? What does this mean for the future of the country?
The Swiss artist Marc Lee creates network-oriented interactive art works. In his projects he experiments with the data and methods of information and communication technologies to critically examine their cultural, social and political ramifications.