This piece titled Under The Influence was part of the group exhibition In the Pic Cells: Dostoevskian Echoes in the Digital Age, curated by Swedish digital artist and curator EVELYN, held at Tech Contemporary Gallery, Copenhagen, Denmark, from December 7 to December 21, 2023.
"Notes from the Underground" (1864) by Dostoevsky is often hailed as the first existentialist novel. This work was written during the Industrial Revolution, a time of rapid societal change and tumultuous political structures. As new technologies and living conditions emerged, so did fresh ideologies. "Notes from the Underground" serves as a cautionary tale against burgeoning ideas of the time such as moral and political nihilism, rational egoism, determinism, utilitarianism, utopianism, and atheism. Today's world exhibits many parallels to Dostoevsky's era, sparking my interest in how contemporary artists express themselves within this context.
In the exhibition, 11 artists harness the digital medium to explore intricate landscapes of morality, existentialism, and human psyche. This exhibition bridges different digital tools to prompt questions about human existence in the digital realm. While Dostoevsky's novels are often categorized under realism, they also encompass elements of philosophy, absurdism, the fantastic, expressionism, psychology, and romanticism—themes and styles I believe are also embraced and investigated by the featured artists.
Ranging from digital paintings and animations to photographic masterpieces, the exhibition displays the diverse ways artists push their own medium to convey their sentiments and perceptions of the surrounding world. While many artworks stem from a personal place, they resonate with the viewer, offering a reflective canvas to spark a conversation and contemplation on the eternal questions that reside in the human soul.
“Under the Influence,” an animation by Iván Casís Jr., presents a stark, monochromatic vision of the pervasive power of social media and being a human in modern society. Through its intricate isometric design, the work portrays humanoid figures operating within a machine-like environment, symbolizing the mechanics of influence and the monetization of trends. Casis’ piece perhaps serves as a commentary on the cyclical nature of content consumption and the relentless pursuit of relevance in the digital age.
— Curatorial text from In the Pic Cells, 2023
Under The Influence (2023)
Digitally Hand-Drawn,
Frame-by-Frame Animation
Resolution: 2160 × 2160px
Format: MP4
Loop Length: 0:17s
Tools: iPad Pro & Apple Pencil
Procreate (Art and Animation)
FCPX (Video Composition and Editing)
"Notes from the Underground" (1864) by Dostoevsky is often hailed as the first existentialist novel. This work was written during the Industrial Revolution, a time of rapid societal change and tumultuous political structures. As new technologies and living conditions emerged, so did fresh ideologies. "Notes from the Underground" serves as a cautionary tale against burgeoning ideas of the time such as moral and political nihilism, rational egoism, determinism, utilitarianism, utopianism, and atheism. Today's world exhibits many parallels to Dostoevsky's era, sparking my interest in how contemporary artists express themselves within this context.
In the exhibition, 11 artists harness the digital medium to explore intricate landscapes of morality, existentialism, and human psyche. This exhibition bridges different digital tools to prompt questions about human existence in the digital realm. While Dostoevsky's novels are often categorized under realism, they also encompass elements of philosophy, absurdism, the fantastic, expressionism, psychology, and romanticism—themes and styles I believe are also embraced and investigated by the featured artists.
Ranging from digital paintings and animations to photographic masterpieces, the exhibition displays the diverse ways artists push their own medium to convey their sentiments and perceptions of the surrounding world. While many artworks stem from a personal place, they resonate with the viewer, offering a reflective canvas to spark a conversation and contemplation on the eternal questions that reside in the human soul.
“Under the Influence,” an animation by Iván Casís Jr., presents a stark, monochromatic vision of the pervasive power of social media and being a human in modern society. Through its intricate isometric design, the work portrays humanoid figures operating within a machine-like environment, symbolizing the mechanics of influence and the monetization of trends. Casis’ piece perhaps serves as a commentary on the cyclical nature of content consumption and the relentless pursuit of relevance in the digital age.
— Curatorial text from In the Pic Cells, 2023
Under The Influence (2023)
Digitally Hand-Drawn,
Frame-by-Frame Animation
Resolution: 2160 × 2160px
Format: MP4
Loop Length: 0:17s
Tools: iPad Pro & Apple Pencil
Procreate (Art and Animation)
FCPX (Video Composition and Editing)
01
Exhibition Flyer
02, 03
Opening Night and Gallery Walk-through
Esta obra, titulada Under The Influence, formó parte de la exposición colectiva In the Pic Cells: Dostoevskian Echoes in the Digital Age, curada por la artista digital y curadora sueca EVELYN, realizada en la galería Tech Contemporary, Copenhague, Dinamarca, del 7 al 21 de diciembre de 2023.
“Notas desde el subsuelo” (1864) de Dostoevsky es considerada con frecuencia como la primera novela existencialista. Esta obra fue escrita durante la Revolución Industrial, una época de rápidos cambios sociales y de estructuras políticas turbulentas. A medida que surgían nuevas tecnologías y condiciones de vida, también emergían nuevas ideologías. Notas desde el subsuelo funciona como una advertencia frente a las ideas emergentes de su tiempo, como el nihilismo moral y político, el egoísmo racional, el determinismo, el utilitarismo, el utopismo y el ateísmo. El mundo actual muestra muchos paralelismos con la era de Dostoevsky, lo que despertó mi interés en cómo los artistas contemporáneos se expresan dentro de este mismo contexto.
En la exposición, once artistas utilizan el medio digital para explorar paisajes complejos de moralidad, existencialismo y psique humana. La muestra conecta distintas herramientas digitales con el fin de suscitar preguntas sobre la existencia humana en el ámbito digital. Aunque las novelas de Dostoevsky suelen clasificarse dentro del realismo, también abarcan elementos de filosofía, absurdismo, fantasía, expresionismo, psicología y romanticismo: temas y estilos que, a mi entender, también son adoptados y examinados por los artistas participantes.
Desde pinturas y animaciones digitales hasta obras fotográficas, la exposición muestra las diversas formas en que los artistas expanden los límites de sus propios medios para transmitir sentimientos y percepciones sobre el mundo que los rodea. Aunque muchas de las obras surgen de un espacio personal, resuenan con el espectador, ofreciendo un lienzo reflexivo que invita a la conversación y a la contemplación sobre las preguntas eternas que habitan en el alma humana.
“Under the Influence”, una animación de Iván Casís Jr., presenta una visión monocromática y contundente del poder omnipresente de las redes sociales y de lo que significa ser humano en la sociedad moderna. A través de su intrincado diseño isométrico, la obra muestra figuras humanoides que operan dentro de un entorno similar a una máquina, simbolizando la mecánica de la influencia y la monetización de las tendencias. La pieza de Casís funciona, quizás, como un comentario sobre la naturaleza cíclica del consumo de contenido y la implacable búsqueda de relevancia en la era digital.
— Texto curatorial de In the Pic Cells, 2023.