The hierarchical nature of social media has enabled influencers to become modern-day pagan deities, extending their power over the masses of believers who worship them. In “Neonumens,” Solimán López addresses this idea by exploring the Instagram feed of Brazilian beauty blogger Camila Coelho, who regularly shares makeup tutorials, archetypes of ideal beauty, and her luxurious lifestyle to her 9.2 million followers. The artist focuses on two images posted on the social media platform in particular—one featuring Coelho and two friends, and another depicting a baby shower with a dog sleeping on a couch next to a newborn and a large teddy bear. These images are recreated using 3D libraries and image recognition software, and then incorporated into a virtual installation. A video created by the artist explores the simulated piece, and is accompanied by sound generated from light values extracted from one of the images.
The wireframe structures of the 3D objects and the feature detection marks become neon lights and wire mesh sculptures in a composition that is reminiscent of both an altarpiece and a futuristic shop window display. Overall, the method for obtaining these elements and the resulting imagery remind us of the algorithmic nature of the contents we consume in social media. Coelho’s success and the particular type of images she disseminates result from unspoken rules, social codes, and the snowball effect of being favored by the sorting algorithms of the media platform.