Mark Zuckerberg transformed into religious icon in new exhibition exploring impact of internet giants

In a week that ‘delete your Facebook’ has become the defining phrase, a new exhibition explores how tech giants are encroaching on our lives.

Artist duo Ben Langlands and Nikki Bell are exploring the increasingly troubling dominance of Big Data’s big names in their show Internet Giants: Masters of the Universe.

Mark Zuckerberg is portrayed as a religious icon, appearing in pixelated form alongside his words ‘I’m trying to make the world a more open place’. The images and words of other tech leaders such as Bill Gates and Jeff Bezos are also featured.

The exhibition also features the architectural plans for the headquarters of major companies like Facebook and Google. Langlands and Bell said they see architecture as “the most tangible and enduring record of the way we live.”

“The internet giants continue to grow exponentially, becoming ever more powerful by the day, and exercising an increasingly profound influence over our lives. They are reshaping the cultures, politics and economies of societies all over the world comprehensively,” they said.

The exhibition runs at Ikon Gallery in Birmingham from March 21 - June 10; ikon-gallery.org