Get To Know: Mars from @omginternetculture
Pablo Picasso famously once said: "Good artists copy, Great artists steal.” It is an idea that has become even more poignant in the world of AI, algorithms and echo chambers. For many, the internet has condensed our pool of references into one mush of sameness; moodboards filled with the blue tint of Belly and pop music structured in a way that is enhanced for engagement.
But that’s not true of everyone. From Jim Legxacy’s ‘06 ‘wayne rooney’ video to young people in China getting memes carved into stone seals, there is a new wave of creativity that feels rooted in the signs, symbols and sentiment of the digital age. A trend of referencing and drawing from the internet in a way that feels fresh and exciting, producing work that does not copy, but re-frames our perspective on these otherwise trivial phenomena.
For Mars, this is the central pillar of everything they do. Whether directing, designing, DJing or community-building, they draw inspiration from the online spaces they grew up on. The result is a shared creative language that feels both nostalgic and futuristic at once, and uniquely relevant to a generation born on the internet.
We sat down to speak with Mars about their creative origin story, the impact of the internet on creativity and their thoughts on the new social media ban.
Hi Mars, can you please tell us a bit about yourself and your practice?
Hey I’m Mars! I’m a director, visual artist & dj creating art based around the internet & creator of @omginternetculture
Where did your interest in internet culture come from, how do you incorporate it into your work and what do you love most about it?
It probably comes from not going outside a lot as a kid aha!I used to love games such as Minecraft & Club Penguin, and I think going from that as a kid to tumblr as a teen was where I really started getting my interest in aesthetics & art really.
There’s not much to do around Leicester as a queer kid, so the internet was kinda where I made a lot of my friends & pretty much found myself.
How do you incorporate internet culture (memes, references, visual language) into your creative work as a director and visual artist? Or what impact has the internet had on your work as a director and visual artist?
I love hiding references to meme culture or games within a lot of my work! Whether recreating the windows xp wallpaper for the social content we shot with Master Peace or throwing events with an internet related theme (e.g. a minecraft party).
Do you think the internet has had a positive or negative impact on Gen Z creativity?
I definitely think the internet has had both a positive and negative impact! I'm grateful for it, as having access to the internet allowed me to meet people around the world and start my career as a creative by having my work seen from the click of a button. However it has caused a lot of overthinking and checking analytics & likes rather than caring about creating things.
Where do you see this going in the future?
I think we’re gonna go post-digital & rely less on tech for personal moments. I kinda see it with how we all hate our phones & especially in nightlife. Nobody wants to dance because we’re all scared to be recorded.
What is your opinion on the new social media ban that is going to come in for under16-year-olds?
If they're going to ban social media, are they going to give youth an alternate platform to use? There have been so many youth centres and third spaces closed down so kids honestly don't really have places to go rather than being online. It kinda feels a bit stupid, as most kids will just find a way to bypass it. They banned alcohol and smoking but we still did that as kids? I feel like the conversation needs to be educating & making internet spaces for kids similar to what we had growing up such as club penguin & moviestarplanet. I also feel a bit scared of how it can silence a tonne of information. If I never met my internet friends when I was 13, I probably never would have seen black queer representation.
What are your all-time favourite internet trends, subcultures or lores?
I feel like the backrooms lore is so funny or like floptropica
What’s the best thing you’ve seen on the internet recently, or the best use of internet culture you've seen recently?
Zendaya’s hat 😭 nah but honestly I think just the internet coming together to support community & culture rather than fuelling the culture wars that are going on right now
Can you tell us a bit about 'omginternetculture' and explain the connection between dance music, internet culture and sports?
Yess!! omginternetculture is my child lol! It’s basically all the things that we never got to do authentically as kids & recreating a safer space for these themes - whether it’s queer prom or the infamous sports day! Blended in with all the internet nostalgia from the 2010s. We play music from the web & give a space for grassroots artists to showcase their work. We haven’t got many spaces for queer poc people & allies to hang out & meet people so that’s why we do it 🫡
What do you think Gen Z is bringing to creative culture that previous generations didn't?
There’s a lot of things we’re bringing to art! Definitely a level of “idgaf” because we’re all so tired! Being one of the first generations to be online for the majority of our lives & seeing all the chaos unfold in real time is pretty bleak. I guess gen-z puts all of that into our creative culture.
Are you optimistic or pessimistic about the future?
I guess we have to be optimistic, I hope 😭