In today’s era, the power of technology is no longer simply measured by megahertz and gigabytes, but by the ripple effects that these modes of mass communication are able to stimulate by the click of a mouse. This is not simply a reference to the welcomed Tweeter stalking of Ashton Kutcher or the virtual crowning of Lady Gaga as the most popular entity in the World Wide Web.
While these effects can be positive, they also can also produce insidious ramifications. They promote an absolute conformity of thought and an overload of (what can only be referred to as) “artificial experience.” The experience of actually participating in an event, such as attending a party or concert, has been replaced through tweet-by-tweet commentary or a YouTube video, thus desensitizing one’s reality to become wholly satisfied with its virtual counterpart. As can be witnessed in our submission to the media, we’ve become so reliant on these proxy realities that we consume them without question.
On the flipside, these artificial experiences can further connect us, as they are communicable as long as their links are still valid, and the result is a shared conviction. Governments and dictators have been challenged, and in some instances, even overthrown. Institutions once seen as impenetrable, and schools of thought once believed to be absolute, have become ossified by the mass’ ability to quickly and collectively mobilize, not just physically, but also conceptually and intellectually. There is no doubt the power of connectivity via information and communication technologies (ICT) holds limitless potential, whether it be for the good or evil of our existence.
The issues targeted in the exhibition, “The Bravery of Being Out of Range,” which opened recently, concern that very dichotomy. “The global systems of intertwining networks creates a double-edge sword,” stated Aya Haidar, co-curator of the exhibition at Jeddah’s elite gallery of Saudi Contemporary Art at Athr Gallery.
“On the one hand, the collective conformity that characterizes our globalized culture undermines the value of uniqueness creativity and thoughtful deliberation of the individual,” she continued. “On the other hand, however, the ease in speed and universal access of information ignites patterns of behavioral change across the region, which contributes to the shift in balance in societal, interpersonal and relational dynamics.”
Featured works by James Clar, Manal Al Duwayan, Abdulnasser Gharem, Babak Golkar, Hassan Hajjaj, Pouran Jinchi, Ahmed Mater, Yara El Sherbini, Sami Al Turki and Ayman Yussri, instigate intellectual intercourse through artistic discourse of these varied perspectives on the good and evil of this technological New Age. Grouped into three separate conversations the artists and their works incite a dialogue filled with both critique and praise for the very parameters of the world in which they and their art are indubitably products of.
Accessibility of information and its ability to continuously propagate has made the world a smaller place. While posting the latest Keenan Cahill YouTube video to your 1000-plus “friends” on Facebook and then tweeting how much better this video is than his last may not summarize a normal evening for everyone, the reality is that most people’s threshold for stimulation has become saturated and overloaded. This has desensitized their ability to recognize when their appetite has been assuaged.
“You are connected everywhere and anywhere 24/7 at the click of a button. A mold has been cast that sets us within a preconceived range,” explained Haider.
She revealed that the works included in this conversation portray the relationship and influence the media has on us, from the saturation of consumer products and Hollywood flicks, to the antennas and satellites that comprise our skyline.
“Over the last couple of decades, developments in new age media have formed global webs of social networks,” stated Haidar. “Not only is there more variety and options in terms of which news channel you watch, which radio channel you tune into or which products you buy, but the ease of access to them has grown also.”
“You are always at the giving and receiving end of information, opinion and developments,” stated Haidar. “This is an incredibly democratizing tool that encourages bottom up change — be it social, political or environmental.”
The recent political events that have occurred in the Middle East can attest to the catalytic power of ICT. “From the box in your living room to the radio in your car and the camera on your phone, you are always connected,” she added.
Branding has advanced from innate products to individuals and abstract ideas. Authoritative billboards tell consumers want they need, while the incontrovertible, formulaic belief that technological advancement equates to better quality of life has made us unreservedly compliant.
“This shows you the potential might of such media to not only reshape the physicality of our environment, but to also reshape our core principles and values. It has become the driving impetus for sociability and reform,” commented Haidar.
While technology is responsible for connecting even the most remote and restricted corners of the globe, it is also similarly responsible for the individual’s own disconnect to him/herself. Information shoots across in bits-per-second speed and is just as quickly consumed and further proliferated.
“This surge in mass consumerism has gradually led to the breakdown and erosion of any sense of authenticity and individuality,” stated Haidar.
The individual’s exposure becomes his/her ultimate demise. “For such a world made up of numerous polarities, to have a single socially accepted range, leads to difficult and dangerous outcomes. Divergences will arise and lead to rises and falls, breakdowns and revisions,” she added.
Bravery of Being Out of Range will continue until June 11, 2011.
