B2_#019 // The Fake Newsroom // Anthony Ani 

In an age where technology and social media are widespread, we are constantly being bombarded with a constant influx of news.So much so in fact, that seems to have turned into a game of ‘Chinese whispers’. As it is passes from one individual to the next, it is constantly being altered, slowly metamorphosing from news to “alternative facts/fake news”.

The image is inspired by a recent visit to a barbershop where I observed multiple versions of a certain widely-covered event being told by various individuals partaking in conversation. The image portrays the barbershop, whose sole function has been somewhat canned in favour of a ‘news room’ of sorts where occupants engage in this game of Chinese whispers, proudly spewing ‘news’ from Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. The seats are turned away from the usual focus – the mirrors – towards a live camera ready to broadcast to whoever may be listening, therefore perpetuating the game elsewhere.

We are now confronted with the question of whether we are unwittingly creating a series of fake news rooms every time we engage in this game of Chinese whispers…

Anthony Ani is an M.A. Architecture Graduate from the University of Edinburgh (ESALA)