Superfine! DC 2022
Statement of Intent
Truth has taken on a very ambiguous nature recently. In history, truth was defined by might, the victors of war dictating their version of events by annihilating conflicting histories. Today, with so many disparate sources, truth is defined by belief, whether that be in science, religion, or something else entirely. And that truth can simultaneously be espoused from many venues, constantly, with endless variation. So truth itself strays further from consensus. Without consensus, is truth even possible?
Modern humans have to develop different skills to survive. Even in the face of a global pandemic, there is very little consensus on the best course of action. The amount of misinformation in the world today threatens us. With hyper-connection, humans possess a wealth of previously inaccessible knowledge and community at their fingertips. And in these spaces, humans have encountered an endless amount of points and counterpoints, assumptions and presumptions about real-world issues.
If our ancestors’ survival was predicated on hunting and gathering, then ours is certainly defined differently. Humans used to signify victory over nature by creating paintings on the walls of their earliest dwellings. We have since traded physical gatherings around firelight for isolated connections buffered by glowing computer screens. In this wilderness, the predators that lurk in the dark are algorithmic. Without the genetic hieroglyphics of human experience past to guide us into this new digital existence, we are left to create neo-cuneiform to signal to future generations what defined our society at this time. Think of these works as a form of modern cave painting, where our beasts to conquer are abstract topics like systemic injustice, existential dread and mental health.
Thanks!
