WoW Workshop with artist Aram Bartholl

Aram Bartholl takes from the realm of World of Warcraft and creates humorous public interventions that bleed into real life. In WoW Sign (2006-2009), Bartholl creates a workshop that produces signs of names similar to the way a player’s name hovers above his or her head during actual game play. Bartholl has instituted performances in several countries, where participants walk through a city with their names seemingly floating above them. This confuses some onlookers or provokes immediate recognition and acknowledgement from others. In this way Bartholl adds the element of fantasy into the physical world and creates a serendipitous moment for strangers familiar with the game.

Video courtesy of Lev Anderson.