The 21st Century. The pinnacle of technological development and the era of the 'information age'. Never before have we had the circulation of knowledge right at our fingertips, but with the invention of the internet; the dynamics of systems and societies has taken on an unforeseeable form. To be able to travel through cyberspace and retrieve details in a matter of seconds, these are the legends of a couple hundred years ago.
The implementation of blocks and control, results in increasingly creative ways to fulfill the people's right to access of information. Made up of over 12.5 million blocks, the Uncensored Library is a Minecraft server and map that was designed to be able to thwart and circumvent the censorship occuring in countries which have been denied the freedom. As an open platform, it is currently accessible in any country and allows anyone to read specific documents, books articles and websites which are banned. Released by Reporters without Borders and created by Blockworks, DDB Berlin and Media Monks, the library housed in majestic proportions contains banned reporting from Mexico, Russia, Saudi Arabia, Vietnam and Egypt. With an entire wing dedicated to each country, the library contains over 200 different books available in English and the original language the article was written in. Contained in in-game book items, they can be opened to be read by multiple players at once; discussing censorship, unjust punishment and other critiques to the writer's government. Providing opportunities for freedom that would otherwise be condemned. Additionally, there has been a new room to cover the issues pertaining to COVID-19 exploring how the virus has been reported within each country; including Brazil, Myanmar, Hungary, Iran, Korea, Thailand and more.
There is a certain thoughtfulness that has been put in which speaks to the pervading truth of the project. The interior architecture of each country's room symbolises each country's unique situation and challenges, fusing the cultural backgrounds from all around the world. The Mexico section contains memorials for reporters that were killed during their writings, bringing to light the growing importance of its spread. With neo-classical style inspired by institutions like the New York Public library, it 'stylistically alludes to the authoritarian structures the project aims to subvert'.
Despite the increasing awareness of fake news and the use of misdirection, we continue to watch as the former structures of control begin to disintegrate. The creation of such things drive the tides of change and are sparks which can often engulf entire regions. As with all structures, there are entities that want to contain shackles which retains the ball in their court so to speak. Much like state controlled broadcasts of the USSR and Zedong's Republic of China, minds are formed from the information consumed. From radio, television, newspapers to even books and blockbuster movies we do face an increase of exposure to both sides of the scales. More which can be attributed to discerning eyes and based on, as Lauryn Hill once said 'thoughts and motives'.
The map can be access at www.uncensoredlibrary.com or by connecting to their servers.