LIKE

NOLL

NOLL, a creative unit that pursues art and technology to create new possibilities for a new age, exhibited its new work "LIKE" and past work "Reincarnation" at CONTRAST on March 25th, Saturday, and 26th, Sunday. LIKE takes a bird’s-eye view of the modern, streamlined love. Love used to require a slow approach to win over the other person’s heart. Nowadays, dating apps allow us to instantly approach and communicate with multiple people. The use of technology has managed to lower the hurdles of meeting and developing love, birthing a new kind of relationship process compared to a decade ago. Love is changing from “LOVE” to “LIKE.” In this piece, a smartphone with a virtual dating app and an automatic swipe machine are displayed in frames. Searching for a match based on facial features, ethnicity/race, and the similarities of colors in each image, the machine automatically swipes “LIKE” or “NOPE.” When a match is made, a digital human with characteristics of both is born, leading it to grow rapidly to the age where they can use dating apps. The piece makes it possible to witness the efficient modern “love” and “breeding” by repeating this cycle semi-permanently. We consider this transformation of modern love to be the first step into a realm untouched by mankind. By exhibiting smartphones and automatic swipe machines in picture frames - like a painting that cuts out a scene where Adam and Eve meet. We express the sacredness of it all. Though “love” is a basic innate impulse for most human beings, we let intelligence intervene to make the process more efficient. Peeking with a bird’s eye view to an inorganic love cycle streamlined by LIKE, the viewers are allowed space to ponder about modern society and the future. Artwork by NOLL Inc. and Shinpei Miura NOLL Inc. Project member：Genya Ohashi / Takuro Kawashima / Jun Inagaki / Madoka Ashida