CTM 2022: Connected Alienation

About

The works of Ale Hop, Dana Gingras / Animals of Distinction, Hugo Esquinca and Ibrahim Quraishi are the result of artistic exchanges across distance and time. They feature a wide range of voices including Peaches, Alaska Thunderfuck, Hanna Schygulla, Marina Abramović, Lucrecia Dalt, Ana Quiroga, Noah Chomsky, Sarah Williams, Moises Horta and KMRU. Together they show the potential, effects, successes and stumbling blocks of contacts and encounters via telematic media. How can connections, artistic exchange and mutual understanding be developed and maintained, when a physical encounter is not possible? How can they fail under such circumstances? The exhibition sheds light on the limits of digital encounters and the loneliness that can arise when virtual experiences and spaces suddenly replace personal contact and shared physical experiences. The telematic tools of these online connections are rarely noticed or emphasized, but always shine through in the works. The work of but always shine through in the works. The work of but always shine through in the works. The work ofAle Hop originated in lockdown. It is an imagined journey through South America. In collaboration with thirteen musicians* from all over the world, sound and image vignettes were created, which the artist Moises Horta “translated” and also “mistranslated” from language/sound to image using an AI tool. This process creates a new sense of time and a new perspective on places Ale Hop remembers. 

»Jump Cut« is a six part digital series produced by Dana Gingras/Animals of Distinctionwas designed. The series is a response to the unpredictable and sudden end of international touring. Gingras performs a jump cut here, ie. performs an image jump that reimagines travel as a means to replace the physically co-present encounters that took place between international artists to create a new kind of spontaneous encounter and creative connection. 
In times of the constant presence of the pandemic, Hugo Esquinca feels catapulted into a kind of catatonia. In his experimental sound work he tries to make it possible to experience this feeling of spasmodic tension penetrating the entire body. 
Ibrahim Quraishitakes us on an aural and visual journey to the abysmal voids that result from the loss of common ground in moments of tragedy and change. Employing a variety of contributors, he reveals the dangers of not connecting, breaking ties, or not having contact at all.

The works of Ali Eslami and Mamali Shafahioffer a counterpoint to the above. Conceived in a pre-pandemic era, these works use Instagram as an archive to explore social media as an ephemeral phenomenon influencing our contemporary digital culture and visual/aesthetic expressions. They take on a new meaning in the context of the pandemic, which has increased reliance on these platforms as a means of connecting and self-expression. The limited (and likely technology-mediated) contacts we had, as well as the contacts that we couldn't have are affecting our lives as cultural workers, artists, producers and art lovers. The works shown in this exhibition all establish contact in an intimate and touching way.