Pornodox - An Evolving, Participatory Net.Art Project
The issue of censorship is multifarious and has been debated in numerous public spheres for centuries. Throughout its long history, censorship has been a tool of control and power. Exercised prominently in the age of European Monarchy, King's like Louis XIV applied their power in a way that suppressed their people of public materials, and in doing so, maintained their dominance. Although the monarchal system seizes to exist today, it is most clear that censorship by way of a higher authority is present and prevalent in today's world.
Pitting internet protocol against internet porn, this work twists online censorship into quite the dilemma and puts censorship of a single pornographic image into the hands of internet users all over the world.
What Pornodox intends to achieve is not just a commentary on censorship in cyberspace, but a more informative illumination of illicitness on a global scale. It is hoped that the participation with this online art will breed a more curious and critical public in regards to censorship.
Each time the page is loaded, a small black box (size, position and opacity determined by the I.P. address of the visitor) is added to the pornographic image. When the page is first loaded, you can see a red outline pulsing around your censorship tile. For more information on your contribution, you can hover over the "i" symbol above Jessica's picture.
An element of this project that ought not be forgotten is the correlation between I.P. address and geographic location. Accessing the internet from different physical locations can alter the censorship tile you generate, so through that system, Pornodox becomes a global project.
The paradox of Pornodox is this: If you are opposed to the image, and you do feel Jessica's body should be censored, you must view it to block it. On the other hand, if you take pleasure in Jessica's image, viewing it will only contribute to its future concealment.