T.A.F / the art foundation presents the group show DYS[u]topia.
The exhibition presents some disturbing questions about the current shift in human civilization, the desire to change humanity through technology and even to replace the human being with a new species -the Homo-Deus- (superhuman). DYS[u]topia contextualizes the emergence and convergence of new technologies such as nanotechnology, biotechnology, information technology, cognitive science technology and future technologies such as virtual reality, artificial intelligence, super-intelligence and transferring thoughts.
We have smart cars, phones, refrigerators and even watches, and hopefully we have smart or at least smarter humans. All the “smart-tools” added to a human being are driven by the augmentation to our five input senses. The augmentation to our output capabilities will make us Homo Deus – superhumans –. The possibility of a biogenetic, technological and digital revolution is an important vision that lies between utopia and dystopia. Dystopia as a room is a futuristic or imaginary place in which the illusion of an advertising company is maintained through financial companies, technology, digital life that causes a social and cultural turn in society – supermodernity –.
The supermodernity creates non-places or dystopias. The main characteristic of supermodernity is excess, so non-places are results or perhaps some kind of side effects of the excess of time, excess of space and excess of ego. Hence supermodernity is created through the logic of excess.
The characteristic feature of this postmodern simulacrum or supermodernity is that the distinction between original and copy, model and image, reality and imagination becomes impossible and a general "Referencelessness" of the signs and images had given way. This tension between simulacrum and apprehension could also be understood as a "hybrid" tension between expressive power and inexpressiveness, as "to be or not to be" in postsociety. In this sense, the Future Hype expresses the exaggerated enthusiasm and exaggeration of these visions of the future.
The dystopia is located between virtual dimension and perception. The world itself has turned into a "non-place" between simulation and apprehension – the act or power of perceiving and comprehending. Ten international artists, six from Austria and four from Greece, whose post- digital aesthetics and visual art explore the dystopia context of the aesthetic postmodern manifestations. The exhibition is organized and curated by the Austrian agency of art and visual media - global:artfair -.
Participating artists: Julia Zastava, David Osthoff, Litto Daniela, Anna Vasof, Sarah Howorka, Tina Muliar, Kyriaki Goni, Ioannis Pitsikalis & Konstantinos Venis, Maria Paneta