COLL.EO, Reasonable_3, 2020

The third instalment in a thought-provoking series of machinima, COLL.EO’s Reasonable_3 highlights political and ideological tensions that blur the lines between reality and simulation. Set in the turbulent backdrop of the summer of 2020, the work captures the aftermath of urban riots through the vivid depiction of police cars set ablaze and left in ruins. Created during a period marked by social unrest and the global outcry following the brutal murder of George Floyd by Minneapolis police – which re-ignited the Black Lives Matter protests, first in the US and then worldwide – Reasonable_3 juxtaposes the anarcho-capitalist fantasies crafted by Rockstar Games with the harsh contingencies faced by thou- sands around the globe.

The juxtaposition of the game’s stylised, hyper violent, cartoony world with the all-too-real images of urban unrest and police violence that circulated on social media and news outlets during the protests triggers cognitive dissonance, forcing the viewer to make sense of the almost immediate re-staging of current events through video games, memes, and gifs. Accompanying this visual narrative is a soundtrack composed of audio extracted from videos shared on social media featuring cries, chants, and the wail of sirens as thousands of protesters clashed with police in various urban environments. This cacophony evokes a sense of chaos, resistance, and confrontation.

This artwork exposes the deep fractures and the often ignored narratives within mainstream gaming culture which labels itself as «apolitical.». By integrating real life events into a digital playground, Reasonable_3 disrupts the viewer’s expectations with a reflection on police brutality and social injustice, employing a tactical media approach that seeks to disrupt dominant narratives and challenge the status quo.The work can also be situated within the broader context of activist art and political performance, which has a long history of using symbolic violence and destruction to critique systems of power and oppression. From the Situationist International’s concept of détournement, that is, the subversive appropriation and repurposing of cultural artefacts to the guerrilla theatre of groups like the Yippies and the Weather Underground, Reasonable_3 joins a tradition of art that seeks to shock, provoke, and galvanise its audience into action.

The enigmatic title can be read as a commentary on the notion of reasonable force, a legal standard that is often invoked to justify police violence against civilians. By appending the underscore and number to the word reasonable, COLL.EO suggests that the concept of reasonableness itself is a constructed and iterative one, subject to revision and critique. The title also evokes the language of software versioning and updates, implying that the struggle for social justice and police accountability is an ongoing process that requires constant vigilance and adaptation.

This controversial blend of real events and virtual elements compels viewers to reflect on the depicted events while critically examining the role of social media in shaping public perceptions of protest, police brutality, and broader societal conflicts.

More by COLL.EO: colleo.org