Lil Miquela

Lil Miquela is an enigmatic computer-generated model and social media it-girl famous for her Instagram account lilmiquela. Since the account's activation in 2016, she has amassed more than 200,000 followers and a cult-like following of 'Miquelites'. She has gained attention most notably for controversy regarding whether or not she is a real person or a virtual simulation.

Many argue that Miquela's features are too exaggerated to be human, but she has also garnered praise for how realistic she appears to be. Some speculate that she is the digitalised version of a real girl, the product of combining a 3D model with photographs.[1] Digital artist Nicole Ruggiero has been cited as the owner of the account, although Ruggiero denies this claim.[2] Debate exists as to whether Lil Miquela is an art project, hoax, or marketing scheme. She has promoted several products on her instagram posts.[2] She portrays the lifestyle of an Instagram it-girl by partying at famous Los Angeles clubs, attending trendy art gallery openings, donning designer clothes, and posting selfies.[3] She references specific physical locations and regularly posts pictures with real models, designers, and musicians. She also has Facebook, Twitter, and Tumblr accounts and has used her platform to support socially minded causes including Muslim and refugee advocacy organizations and protests of the Dakota Access Pipeline.

From an artistic perspective, her Instagram account has been described as blurring the line between reality and social media, commenting on the unrealistic perceptions perpetuated by the social media platform.[4] Her social media presence performs as a simulacrum which reflects a certain set of values, objects, and brands relevant to popular culture.[5] Her intrigue may be connected to the robotics concept of the uncanny valley in that she comes close to appearing human, but not close enough.[2] The account elicits questions of authenticity and perfection in a digital landscape.

See also

References

  1. ↑ "This Instagram model has thousands of followers and they're mostly people trying to work out if she's fake or not". The Independent. 2016-09-06. Retrieved 2017-02-23.
  2. 1 2 3 Dewey, Caitlin; Dewey, Caitlin (2016-09-22). "I think I solved Instagram’s biggest mystery, but you’ll have to figure it out for yourself". The Washington Post. ISSN 0190-8286. Retrieved 2017-02-23.
  3. ↑ "Instagram's Latest 'It' Model Is Confusing The Hell Out Of Everyone". The Huffington Post. 2016-09-02. Retrieved 2017-02-23.
  4. ↑ "Meet Lil Miquela: The New Insta-Star Who Isn't Actually Real". The Debrief. Retrieved 2017-02-23.
  5. ↑ Dazed (2016-07-19). "@lilmiquela is the it-girl who lives in your phone". Dazed. Retrieved 2017-02-23.
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