An exhibition by Marta Djourina, Pia vom Ende and Dennis Rudolph
Goethe-Institute Bulgaria in collaboration with Scope BLN, Berlin present:
HOMO DEUS
Marta Djourina, Pia vom Ende and Dennis Rudolph
Curated by: Boris Kostadinov
April 12 – May 12, 2024
Goethe-Institute Bulgaria
Artist talk: Friday, April 12 at 06:00 pm.
Opening: Friday, April 12 at 07:00 pm.
"Our newfound abilities may soon force us to redefine what it means to be human"
(Harari, "Homo Deus")
The exhibition HOMO DEUS is a collaborative project of Goethe-Institut Sofia and Scope BLN, Berlin.
The project combines in a symbiosis the works of three remarkable artists: Marta Djourina, Pia vom Ende and Dennis Rudolph.
The conceptual basis of HOMO DEUS is provoked by the topics of the technological triumph and ethical dilemmas in Yuval Noah Harari's book "Homo Deus" - a thought-provoking exploration of the future of humanity, delving into the potential evolution of Homo Sapiens into Homo Deus – god-like beings capable of manipulating biology and transcending mortality. The convergence of artificial intelligence, biotechnology and data analytics could empower individuals to transcend the limitations of their biology, effectively blurring the lines between human and divine.
What is nature of progress and the role of humanity in shaping its destiny?
The exhibition HOMO DEUS asks profound questions about the nature of existence and the search for meaning in a world governed by algorithms and artificial intelligence.
It debates the existential imperative to navigate the contemporary ethics of technological evolution, within the context of inherent notions of value, dignity and morality - a reminder of the ethical categories and existential dilemmas that accompany the pursuit of god-like powers.
The "artificial gods" – “Europa” and “Hermes” by
Dennis Rudolph become a powerful metaphor for the complex of interrelationships: history / art / mythology / religion / society / technology. His painting unfolds through a special app that visitors can download and use to observe what will happen around them. Abstract paintings become something completely non-abstract when it is seen through the display of the smartphones to get into their digital essence. The painting is no longer isolated and simply hung on the wall, but merges with a large-scale virtual world. In turn, virtual reality is no longer a free-floating illusion, but seeks its foundations in the materiality of oil painting. The action of perception is based on the democratic principle of the voluntary involvement of the viewers. Through technology, they can observe and actively interact with the dynamic environment of the fantastic augmented reality, discovering a new world of digital gods - inhabiting utopian or apocalyptic universes.
The touch of the human with the technological (literally and figuratively) characterizes the work by
Marta Djourina.
“Touch Stream” is a purpose-built application that is inspired by smartphone technology as an underutilized aesthetic space. The work is based on the interactive potential for visualization generated by human touch with the screen. In six "choreographies," viewers are "led" by their touches, which create the images. These gestures take on meanings beyond the purely functional context of our daily use of smartphones, tablets or other touchscreen devices. The viewer's human, physical touch with the technology creates their "portraits" - as abstract as they are individual. The sensory abilities of our fingers serve us for orientation - in both the analog and digital worlds. Therefore, objects are also presented - where the digital prototype finds its physical incarnation.
“I am a Survivor” by Pia vom Ende takes up the internet meme phenomenon Pepe by showing a human-like frog in a brightly lit basement room in various emotional states. The work addresses loneliness, aggression, hate and joy and serves as a critical reflection on the virality of internet phenomena. It explores the fragile boundaries between the online and offline worlds. Another work –
“Become God” is an interactive VR experience where the viewer must face challenges and make decisions to attain godhood, immortality, and omnipotence. The AR component captures the pivotal moment when you achieve godhood, and everyone applauds you. Drawings are also shown - part of the series “fakemehard”, which emerged from the preoccupation with the era of post-truth. The drawings combine symbols of well-known conspiracy ideological groups, elements from pop culture, literature and cultural-historical references.
MORE ABOUT THE ARTISTS:
DENNIS RUDOLPH was born 1979 in Berlin where he lives and works. In 1998 he studied Chinese at the Language and Culture Institute in Beijing,China. In 2000 he started studying art at the famous Repin Academy in St.Petersburg, Russia. From
2000- 2004 he studied at the Universität der Künste, Berlin in the class of Wolfgang Petrick. From 2012 until 2018 Rudolph was living and working in Los Angeles and California City where he was working on the art project Das Portal. He was the founder of the project space STATE OF THE ART in Berlin which he directed from 2014 until 2021.
His work has been exhibited iinternationally at Karachi Biennale 22; Biennale for Young Art, Moscow; Spiegelarche, Roldesleben; KW, Institute for Contemporary Art Berlin; Kunsthalle Andratx, Mallorca; CAC Brétigny; DAZ, Berlin; Museum Ratingen; Museum der Arbeit, Hamburg; DTLA Los Angeles; ZEISS Planetarium Jena: Kunstverein Arnsberg; Goethe Institut Los Angeles; Kunststiftung Poolhaus Blankenese and others.
PIA VOM ENDE (*1990) studied painting at the Burg Giebichenstein University of Art and Design in Halle (Saale) and at the Weissensee Academy of Art Berlin until 2021. In 2021, she completed her master class studies under Prof. Tilo Baumgärtel. Pia vom Ende has exhibited her works in a series of exhibitions in Berlin, Vienna, Cape Town, Halle (Saale), and Leipzig. Concurrently with our exhibition "Homo Deus," a solo show titled "Ticket To Heaven," featuring additional VR work among others, is running at the Kunstverein Wolfenbüttel in Germany. For more information, please visit:
MARTA DJOURINA (born in Sofia) studied at the UDK Berlin. Her works have been shown in numerous international exhibitions, most recently at the Berlinische Galerie, Sofia Arsenal - Museum of contemporary Art and FeldbuschWiesnerRudolph (Berlin). She has received the BAZA Award for Contemporary Art (2021), the Eberhard-Roters grant (Preussische Seehandlung Foundation, awarded at the Berlinische Galerie, 2020), the AArtist in residence at the Federal Foreign Office (2022), Marianne Brand Prize for Photography (2022) etc. In 2024 Djourina just published her first extensive monograph with DISTANZ Berlin.
Marta Djourina’s (she/her) artistic practice focuses on the exploration of various light phenomena. Light becomes a subject matter, a tool and an object of investigation. While some works have a biographical component and apply the use of self-made pinhole cameras (later sent per post, attached to a pigeon or made out of a suitcase during travel), other works explore the light of living organisms such as mushrooms and algae. Often, the artist applies historical photographic techniques, e.g. to capture the notion of touch within an image.
BORIS KOSTADINOV is a curator and art critic, working in Berlin. He is the Artistic Director of Scope BLN, Berlin.Kostadinov’s projects explore the interaction of art with political and geopolitical realities, economics, social processes and theories. The second guideline of his work is art & technology as such projects are defined by artistic practices that moderate relationships between elite science, future forecasts and social consciousness.
He has curated projects for: Ortstermin, Berlin; DNA Gallery, Berlin; The European biennial of contemporary art Manifesta 11, Zurich; Radiator Gallery, New York; Leo Kuelbs Collection, New York; IG Bildende Kunst, Vienna; viennacontemporary International Art Fair, Vienna; Parallel Art Fair, Vienna; Ernst Hilger Gallery, Vienna; Forum Stadtpark, Graz; National Art Gallery, Sofia; FLUCA – Austrian Cultural Pavilion – Plovdiv - 2019 European Capital of Culture; Sofia City Art Gallery, Sofia. He was a member of the advisory board of the Visible Award 2015 – Tate Liverpool. Kostadinov is a member of Kunstverein Tiergarten, Berlin and Independent Curators International, New York.
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