Systemics #2: As we may think (or, the next world library)
21 September–31 December 2013
Kunsthal Aarhus
J.M. Mørks Gade 13
Aarhus 8000 C
Denmark
Hours: Tuesday–Friday 10–17h,
Wednesday 10–21h, Saturday–Sunday 12–17h
Free admission
www.kunsthalaarhus.dk
Facebook / Twitter
Artists: Florian Hecker (DE/AT), Linda Hilfling (DK), Jakob Jakobsen (DK), Suzanne Treister (UK), Ubermorgen (CH/AT), YoHa (Graham Harwood, Matsuko Yokokoji) with Matthew Fuller (UK)
“Wholly new forms of encyclopedias will appear, ready-made with a mesh of associative trails running through them, ready to be dropped into the memex and there amplified.”
–Vannevar Bush, “As We May Think” (1945)
Kunsthal Aarhus presents a new exhibition, Systemics #2: As we may think (or, the next world library). The exhibition explores the relationship between thinking and making, and how this is transformed into knowing. It takes Vannevar Bush’s seminal essay “As We May Think” as a reference point to imagine alternative scenarios for organizing and accessing information—for constructing collective human knowledge. In a culture overloaded with information, the exhibition reflects on how art, technology and science might redefine possibilities beyond today’s standardized forms of what and how knowledge is produced.
Artists in the exhibition explore the relations between networked information, artistic research and processes of self-organization: referring to machine intelligence (Florian Hecker, YoHa), intellectual property and self-publishing (Linda Hilfling, UBERMORGEN), histories of technology (Suzanne Treister), and alternative institutions of knowledge (Jakob Jakobsen). A new essay “Entering the Flow” by Boris Groys accompanies the exhibition and can be found online at www.kunsthalaarhus.dk/research.
In conjunction with the exhibition there will be two special events:
–Florian Hecker performance in connection with his new work at Kunsthal Aarhus, on 7 December at 20h
–Seminar with Florian Hecker, Sarat Maharaj, and Robin Mackay, on 8 December at 14h
As we may think (or, the next world library) is the second exhibition in the Systemics series programme developed by Joasia Krysa, Artistic Director at Kunsthal Aarhus. The next exhibition in the series, Against the idea of growth, towards poetry (or, how to build a universe that doesn’t fall apart two days later), opens in January 2014.
The exhibition is made possible with the generous support of Statens Kunstråds Billedkunstudvalg, Goethe-Institut Dänemark, Aarhus Universitet, Aarhus Kommunes Kulturudviklingspulje, The Swiss Arts Council Pro Helvetia, and BM:UKK Austria.
Press contact: communications [at] kunsthal.dk
