SIMULTAN FESTIVAL XIX

20 09 2024//

Moving image work, “strange attractors […1,000 years]” selected for Simultan Festival XIX 2024 “Desire For the Useless”

3 – 6 October 2024

Hosted at MX Corneliu Miklosi Museum, Timișoara, Romania

Thanks to video curators: Florin Fâra, Marina Oprea, Luiza Alecsandru. Huba Antal and Sergiu Sas.

The program will also be presented from 9-10 November at HEI – House of European Institutes, Bastion 1 (Timisoara, Romania), across four screening sessions, including: ECHOES IN THE MACHINE/ THE SOUND AND LANGUAGE OF DATA/ PATHWAYS OF PERCEPTION and FRACTURED REALITIES.

In a world where simulations often replace reality, the line between useful and useless becomes blurred. Uselessness reveals the constructed nature of perceptions, prompting us to reconsider what we consider real or valuable.

Image credit: Simulaton Festival

As the festival continues to deepen its inquiry into the relationship between technology and humanity, Desire for the Useless serves as a contemplative theme.

In a world where simulations often replace reality, the line between useful and useless becomes blurred. Uselessness reveals the constructed nature of perceptions, prompting us to reconsider what we consider real or valuable. […]
The desire for the useless is not about pursuing uselessness. Rather, it’s about finding meaning in the seemingly impractical through creativity, critical thinking, and insight. Think of desire as energy, not a void. When desire is free from the constraints of utility, it becomes a force that drives us towards new ideas and expressions, showing us that the useless has its own productivity.

My video is screened ROOM 3 : Pathways of Perception

A vibrant digital ecology unfurls, where 3D renders and artificial intelligence intertwine to craft a dialogue between the natural world and the intricacies of societal constructs. These works explore visual phenomena that transcend mere representation, seeking to reintegrate the ephemeral into the fabric of reality.
Volumetric compositions rise, echoing folklore and the mystique of human experience, as ancient tales meld the mystical with the mechanical. Some works take on a documentary format, challenging conventional storytelling, while others immerse the viewer within the liminal spaces between nature and artifice, between belief and skepticism.
Here lies a profound exploration of what it means to be human in an age where the boundaries blur, urging us to reconsider our place within this evolving digital landscape – a sanctuary of transformation where the familiar becomes extraordinary.

Room notes by Marina Oprea.

More info on Simulatan website HERE