On Saturday, a efficiency by an artist who goes by the alias Aphex Redditor went viral on social media after she laid down and frequently scrolled by Instagram Reels for twenty-four hours. However because the efficiency gained consideration on Instagram and X, one other artist, Qualeasha Wooden, accused Aphex Redditor of copying an analogous efficiency she had staged the yr earlier than.
In March 2025, Wooden staged a efficiency referred to as Consideration Financial system at London’s Pippy Houldsworth Gallery, whose launch for the exhibition additionally explicitly invoked the time period “mattress rotting,” which refers back to the act of staying in mattress for extended durations of time with out doing a lot in any respect. A display screen exhibiting a feed from Wooden’s cellphone appeared alongside her. In September, she repeated the efficiency on the Victoria & Albert Museum in London.
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That efficiency appeared alongside tapestries that includes layered photos of the artist, recalling the way in which footage are sometimes overlaid in a single’s browser. These tapestries have gained Wooden widespread consideration: one which appeared on the duvet of Artwork in America, ARTnews’s sister publication, was acquired by the Metropolitan Museum of Artwork.
Aphex Redditor’s efficiency was titled BedRot; it occurred at Jap Bloc, an artwork heart in Montreal, between Friday and Saturday. Much like Wooden’s efficiency, a display screen confirmed what Aphex Redditor noticed because the artist scrolled by Instagram Reels.
On X, BedRot grew to become the topic of fascination. “I’m the one individual watching her mattress rot on reels on this artwork gallery at 2AM,” learn one submit that has since gained greater than 66,000 likes. “Oh I like seeing my work copied phrase for phrase bar for bar,” Wooden responded.
Later, on Instagram, Wooden wrote, “Idk yalllllllllll there’s simply one thing about when yall (collective) see a Black Lady doing one thing you dismiss it however whenever you see the very same factor taking place however in pale pores and skin it turns into romanticized. Viral. It’s nearly precisely like that was the purpose. I wouldn’t count on to go viral for one thing im not allowed to take part in. As a result of relaxation IS political 😉 and it’s a privilege ;).”
Reached by Instagram DM, Aphex Redditor advised ARTnews, “I used to be not conscious of Qualeasha’s work previous to my efficiency. I had been growing my efficiency with the gallery since December 2024. As an artist I’m very considering algorithms and my efficiency was meant to deal with monitoring the event of a social media algorithm over a durational interval. My observe as an entire could be very centred on the web and on-line tradition, which was my intention with the efficiency.”
The artist continued, “As a really new rising artist I didn’t count on to obtain this diploma of media consideration, and I imagine Qualeasha deserves the identical recognition for her work from the media.”
Wooden didn’t reply to a request for added remark submitted by a consultant for Pippy Houldsworth Gallery.
