VIDEO REWIND: Ant Farm

MEDIA BURN by Ant Farm was a public performance event that grew out of the desire to create a singular image – a rocket-car crashing a pyramid of television sets. What began as a simple image idea, became a complex performance and video production during more than one year of planning. Within the context of the alternative media movement of the early 1970’s, it was a statement against the monopoly of American broadcast media. It took place on July 4, 1975 in a parking lot in San Francisco in front of an audience of 400 people and featured a speech by the “Artist-President”and other rituals of “media events.” Local television coverage was included in the final video art edit and it was also distributed as a post card.