Synopses & Reviews
Synopsis
This book offers an analysis of online direct action as creative and cultural performance. It examines the historical and present practices of artists-activists engaged in digital activism, including the work of Critical Art Ensemble, Electronic Disturbance Theatre and Anonymous and discusses over 20 years of online activist practice as cultural production. The book investigates the discourses of cyberprotest based on the narratives provided by activists and artists involved in electronic resistance and actions, covering early online activist practices while also considering more recent shifts in the performance of electronic resistance such as the use of cracking and information leaking tactics which are reshaping the movement.
Synopsis
From the emergence of digital protest as part of the Zapatista rebellion, to the use of disturbance tactics against governments and commercial institutions, there is no doubt that digital technology and networks have become the standard features of 21st century social mobilisation. Yet, little is known about the historical and socio-cultural developments that have transformed the virtual sphere into a key site of political confrontation. This book provides a critical analysis of the developments of digital direct action since the 1990s. It examine the praxis of electronic protest by focussing on the discourses and narratives provided by the activists and artists involved. The study covers the work of activist groups, including Critical Art Ensemble, Electronic Disturbance Theater and the electrohippies, as well as Anonymous, and proposes a new analytical framework centred on the performative and aesthetic features of contemporary digital activism.