Søren Thilo Funder, cop2_cit (sandbox life is hell), Computer Generated Image, Photographic Print, Light box, 84x210cm, 2021
Hell is other people’s skins.
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In his 2021 thought-provoking artwork cop2_cit (sandbox life is hell), Søren Thilo Funder presents us with a simulacrum of a riot cop, constructed entirely from elements of a popular video game, Grand Theft Auto V (Rockstar Games, 2013). This post modern twist on traditional portraiture challenges us to consider the role of simulation and representation in contemporary art. The avatar is presented as a deconstructed object, inviting the viewer to explore - and perhaps reassemble - its various components. From weapons to fabrics, each element is laid out for the viewer to piece together, offering an apparently playful, imaginative view into the world of game-based simulations. cop2_cit (sandbox life is hell) urges us to question the relationship between reality and simulation, and the ways in which games and other digital media can shape our perceptions of the world.
Thilo Funder reframes the notion of custom-made skins, that is, visual modifications to the appearance of an object in a digital environment, such as a video game or virtual reality simulation. In the context of video games, skins are often used to customize the appearance of playable characters or objects in the game world. They may be created by the game developers or by individual players, using custom software or other tools. Custom-made skins can take many forms, from simple color changes to more complex designs that incorporate new textures, patterns, or even three-dimensional models. Skins can be created using a variety of tools and techniques, including digital painting, 3D modeling software, and image editing programs. Once created, skins can be shared online and downloaded by other players, allowing for a vibrant and diverse ecosystem of user-generated content. There's a long tradition within the context of game art to redesign skins in order to appropriate, alter, and subvert the ideology inherent to a video game…
Matteo Bittanti
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