HOW TO / WHY LEAVE FACEBOOK NICK BRIZ (2014)

A 2014 survey maintained that Facebook had secretly manipulated the emotional state of almost 700,000 of its users, which is yet another proof of this social network’s mercantile vocation. Since then this trend has been confirmed many times and illustrated by recycled likes, sponsored stories and the ‘filter bubble’. Even your own messages on Facebook are secretly reorganised to highlight those that have a greater commercial value for advertisers.
To leave Facebook on its own terms, “Nick Briz made some easy scripts to save all of his data, untag himself from everything, delete all of his images, unfriend everyone, leave all of his groups, and delete all of his activity. He shows you how to do all of this in the links under the video. Now, Briz’s ghost town of a Facebook page has become only a sign telling people why he has left. His header and profile image all point to the video ‘How to/Why Leave Facebook’ welcoming onlookers to investigate Facebook themselves. (…) The video and website performance is part lecture, part video art, part how-to guide.” (Ben Valentine).

Nick Briz is a new-media artist and educator living and working in Chicago, IL. His research, writing, and artwork engage in questions surrounding digital culture, computer glitches, and internet citizenry. His work has been exhibited at various national and international festivals, such as the FILE Media Arts Festival in Rio de Janeiro, the Sydney Underground Film Festival, EMAF Osnabrück, and The Images Festival (Toronto). He holds an MFA in Film, Video and New Media at the Art Institute of Chicago.