“I C O N S”
Icons – a set of symbols transposing the impenetrable intricacies of digital processes onto a territory accessible to our, still very much Neolithic, minds. By dragging a text file to trash, we succumb to a useful illusion. Truth be told, nothing is in transit: the trash can does not exist; even the text file does not constitute any cohesive physical entity inside any hardware. However, by performing this codified, ritual-driven dance of clicks, taps, and swipes, we conjure digital processes to bring about a happy turn of events.
Our exhibition takes a closer look at our shared cultural “imaginarium” of digital gestures, symbols, and artefacts, dragging them out onto a physical space, enabling audiences a direct, tactile confrontation and – also literally – a different visual perspective. We dispose of the illusive permanence of digital archives, transforming a selfie into a heap of gravel. We ask: “How much of our attention do we make an offering to tech corporations, succumbing to the ritual of ceaseless scrolling?” We perform an act of iconoclasm, deconstructing the cult, iconic Nokia 3310 – the gateway drug of our present-day smartphone intoxication. We place digital icons within baroque frames, depicting emotions associated with them. Paused by our gaze, the progress bar is our way of asking whether technological advancement goes hand in hand with the rejection of magical thinking…
About panGenerator
panGenerator is an art collective working in the field of new media art, founded in 2010 by Piotr Barszczewski, Krzysztof Cybulski, Krzysztof Goliński, and Jakub Koźniewski. Over the years, the group has created a wide range of unique projects that explore new technologies as a medium for crafting new forms of expression and communication with audiences.
Their works are characterized by a fusion of the world of bits and the world of atoms—bridging the physical and tangible with the ephemeral and digital. In contrast to much of contemporary art, which is often hermetic and alienating to the viewer, panGenerator creates objects and artistic situations with a “user-friendly interface”—engaging and open to interactive dialogue with the audience.
Operating at the intersection of art, design, and engineering, the collective produces large-scale interactive installations for cultural institutions and festivals, as well as experimental music interfaces and purely speculative or critical art objects.
Beyond their creative work, the members of panGenerator have, from the very beginning, been actively involved in numerous educational initiatives focused on the creative use of new media—leading workshops both in Poland and around the globe. In recent years, they have also co-led the country’s first postgraduate program in Creative Coding, offered through the School of Form.
panGenerator has presented its works in galleries, festivals, and exhibitions worldwide, including: Ars Electronica, SXSW, ZKM Karlsruhe, Dutch Design Week, Milan Design Week, Athens Digital Art Festival, LPM, Warsaw Autumn, WRO Media Art Biennale, Łódź Design, Pause Fest Melbourne, Node Festival, Design Museum Holon, PrintScreen Festival, nuit numérique @ Saint-Ex Reims, Festiwal Przemiany, European Culture Congress, Art+bits Festival, Patchlab, Galeria Kordegarda, Galeria 2.0, Kultura 2.0, KODY Festival…
Among the group’s numerous accolades are: an Honorary Mention at Ars Electronica, a Lumen Prize shortlist, a Cannes Golden Lion, and Polityka’s Passport Award in the category of Digital Culture.
