The Birth of Asset

Sara Culmann’s video The Birth of Asset explores how images are created and disseminated in the media environment. An “asset” is a type of digital content used in CGI and game design. It can be 3D model, a detail, an animation or an entire scene. It is the “building blocks” that make up a game. Once the creator uploads an asset to a platform for sale or exchange, however, they lose control over how and where it may be used. The artist draws a parallel between this notion and the evolution of popular visual symbols—from cartoon characters to brand logos—which can acquire new meanings regardless of the copyright holder’s intent. The work’s female protagonist narrates this story in a nonlinear way, shifting from the video game GTA to Jonathan Swift, and from the history of the Fred Perry brand to Minecraft. Through this fragmentation, Culmann unveils how meanings can be “repackaged,” much like assets themselves.