It’s hard to capture a microcosm of current pop culture but somehow tens of thousands (or maybe more!) Redditors from all over the world managed to, in the latest iteration of r/place.
r/place made its debut back in 2017 with one command: random internet users can collaborate on a blank canvas but each account can only place one pixel every five minutes.
Users can watch the artwork unfold in real-time.
Half conceived as an April Fools joke, the idea was the brainchild of Josh Wardle, a then-employee of Reddit but he’s more popularly known today as the creator of Wordle.
R/place returned this year, again on April Fools Day, five years after the experiment took place – one which saw over a million Redditors participate in.
This year, the project lasted four days – enough for thousands of redditors to jostle for a seat of power on a blank 1000 x 1000 grid.
And like what happened in Survivor, alliances quickly formed.
Countrymen teamed up with Korean boyband fans, other Redditors fought to leave a mark of their fandom, while others showed their solidarity with Ukraine as the country continues to battle a Russian invasion.
It hasn’t all been pleasant but it’s also no wonder r/place was once called “the internet in all its glory”.
As expected, the final iteration of r/place was a breathtaking masterpiece.
Artworks like Rembrandt’s The Night Watch existed alongside pixel art of the top-selling video game Elden Ring, together with the Souls fans’ favourite catchphrase “git gud”.
Video game fans will recognise characters like Kirby, Sonic and Tails and countless references to “Among Us”.
Crypto enthusiasts will recognise the distinctive icon from r/WallStreetBets, or the ubiquitous dog from Dogecoin.
Various nationalities were also quick to show-off their national pride, from Asterix in France to redditors here in Asia.
But like all good things – r/place had to end.
The project shut down on 5 April as promised and the hard work of the last five days was wiped down to the last pixel.
All that is currently left is a white canvas, just waiting for the next time r/place is revived and the internet is mustered into action once more.
For now though, you can check out the 2022 masterpiece in all its high-res glory here.
*Featured image from Reddit
By Samantha Chan \ 11:00, 8 April 2022