© Simo Karisalo

The Church of Internet

There will soon be a point in time when the dead social media users will surpass the living

A recent extension to our cultural relationship with death is the increasing number of the deceased who have created a large amount of digital content, such as social media profiles, that will remain online after their death. Issues on how this information is sensitively dealt with are complicated, [and there are no] clear policies on what happens to the [data] of deceased users.
- Wikipedia 9.5.2017

The Church of Internet
is a game that the audience plays together. The game forms into a mourning gathering where we search for new ways of grieving, remembering and celebrating in the internet era. It is a possibility to face questions about empathy in digital interaction and all that we leave behind.

The internet never forgets.

The Church of Internet is part of Kiasma Theatre’s ARS17 program.

Premiere: 2nd of August 2017
Concept: W A U H A U S
Working group: Samuli Laine, Jussi Matikainen, Aku Meriläinen & Jarkko Partanen 
Production:  URB-Festival, W A U H A U S
Photos: Simo Karisalo
Supported by: Finnish Cultural Foundation, Arts Promotion Centre Finland

Reviews

Suru, some ja muistamisen estetiikka – The Church of Internet
https://mustekala.info/suru-some-ja-muistamisen-estetiikka-the-church-of-internet/

Inspirerande minnesstund i internetkyrkan
https://www.hbl.fi/artikel/cc6453c8-5eb9-4a0d-b5ff-735fec8aac7d

Virtuaaliset ruumiit täyttävät internetin – millaista on muistella digitaalista vainajaa?
https://yle.fi/a/3-9753550