Cesar Delgado

Instructions for the Multiplication of Loaves and Fishes

2021

The work draws a parallel between Jesus' biblical miracle of multiplication and Marcel Duchamp’s transformation of everyday objects through artistic designation. One produces abundance through divine intervention; the other produces value through conceptual recontextualization. Two overlapping browser windows perform the multiplication of loaves and fishes through emoji. A live webcam feed replaces the apparent transparency of the browser window, simultaneously revealing and obscuring the technological apparatus behind the work. The browser console records the multiplied objects and the population being fed in real time.