Matte Szklarz, War Drum Hero (installation), 2012. Courtesy of the artist.
War Drum Hero
War Drum Hero is an interactive installation imitating the popular video game series Guitar Hero and Rock Band. Striking the bass drum in time with the projected game, the player builds a sequentially larger army—from foot soldiers to predator drones—to lead on an endless forward march. The work examines domestication and remoteness: just as Guitar Hero concerts take place in our living rooms through the veil of screens and nonhuman entertainers, our warfare is waged against dehumanized combatants from the safety of control consoles far from enemy lines.
