To coincide with Mental Health Awareness Week, an interactive and collaborative artwork has been launched made up of digital and hand drawn memes created by school students to represent their feelings during the pandemic.
Created by Stuart Batchelor for Culture Mile and the City of London Family of Schools and produced by Aphra Shemza from Art in Flux, #Mood combines unique digital and hand drawn artworks by students from the schools with Stuart’s bespoke universe and interactive graphics.
Inspired by an idea from Ella James (Head of Faculty, Art Design Technology - City of London Academy Highbury Grove), the students took inspiration from artists such as Andy Warhol and Barbara Kruger to create memes with a hashtag describing how they have been feeling at this pivotal moment in history.
#Mood maps the viewer using the webcam from their computer or phone and places the students’ memes across their face like pixels. This allows you to move around and interact with the works like a digital mirror putting you at the centre of the artwork and highlighting our connection to one another throughout lockdown. To view the work, visit the top of this page using your computer, tablet or mobile (these devices are supported from 2016 onwards). For the optimum viewing experience, use a desktop computer with a highspeed internet connection. To explore the work further, click on the thumbnail images to expand and navigate between the student’s original artworks.
Stuart designed the piece in collaboration with two groups of students, from both primary and secondary schools who attended an online workshop. During the workshops the students learnt about what it is like to be a professional media artist and created their own digital drawings of the ‘memeverse’ (universe made of memes as seen in the work’s background) which later informed the final design.
"As an artist, the opportunity to work with and teach the students about software art was something I was really excited about. The #Mood project gave students an outlet to create during the pandemic and highlighted the importance of art adapting to global circumstances. It turned something isolating into a positive, social and creative experience. I loved the passion and enthusiasm of the student's artworks and look forward to seeing their work in the final piece."
Stuart Batchelor, Artist
“At Art in Flux we connect media artists with opportunities for creating new work. We create sophisticated and accessible digital art experiences for communities and professionals alike. Working on the #Mood project with our artist Stuart Batchelor, we are thrilled to have produced a new interactive artwork that embodies collective creativity and hope in this difficult period.”
Aphra Shemza, Producer & Director (Art in Flux)
The following City of London schools took part in this project:
The interactive artwork is accompanied by a short film, featuring teachers talking about the project and students discussing their artworks. The film was made in collaboration with participating schools and edited by Faith Austin (Barbican).
