New media and technologies always raise doubts. Even those that we presently take for granted, like the alphabet.
Socrates thought that the invention of writing took away people’s ability to remember and think; he believed writing to be contrary to human nature, and thought it led to misinterpretations. Centuries later, the invention of the first newspapers caused people to worry that we would become too individualistic and lose the ability to converse. Today’s technological advancements also spawn anxiety. The pace of our life is changing, but also how we communicate, work, and spend our leisure time. Technology is ubiquitous, and the telephone and computer have become permanent extensions of ourselves. What is the right balance between digital and analogue realities? Have we gone too far?
This exhibition interrogates the role of technologies in our lives, and how we use them. Are we headed in the right direction, or is it time to take a step backward, do a digital detox, and go off the grid? Do we want to press on – and if so, how?
