(Linz/Berlin, 16.11.2018) Ars Electronica is holding its seventh major exhibition at the DRIVE. Volkswagen Group Forum in Berlin Mitte. “ERROR – The Art of Imperfection” will enlarge upon the theme of this year’s Ars Electronica Festival, focusing on the aspects of IRRITATION, ORDER, VALUE and CONTROL. A total of 16 projects will be presented by artists from all over the world. “ERROR – The Art of Imperfection” opens on 17 November 2018 and can be experienced until 17 February 2019.
ERROR – The Art of Imperfection
Every child learns in school to avoid mistakes. To err may be human, but that doesn’t make it desirable. On the contrary – we spend our whole lives trying to downplay, correct, mitigate or cover up our mistakes. A Sisyphean task, considering that ERROR is a constant presence in our lives. At the same time, it is the very mistakes and failures we fear that repeatedly give rise to celebrated innovations, fostering new things and the progress that goes along with them. “ERROR – The Art of Imperfection” takes an artistic approach to exploring what choices we have for taking action in this context or, to put it more precisely, what choices we must create. After all, our future depends to a large extent on recognizing deviations from the norm and deciding freely whether to tolerate them and even make them into new norms, or whether to resist deviations that go beyond what we can tolerate. Only if we succeed in doing so can our pluralistic and democratic society endure. The attempt to prevent every deviation is – regardless of technology – doomed to failure: Either because it cannot succeed or because it succeeds so well that our society will gradually lose the attributes of pluralism and democracy altogether.
Every child learns in school to avoid mistakes. To err may be human, but that doesn’t make it desirable. On the contrary – we spend our whole lives trying to downplay, correct, mitigate or cover up our mistakes. A Sisyphean task, considering that ERROR is a constant presence in our lives. At the same time, it is the very mistakes and failures we fear that repeatedly give rise to celebrated innovations, fostering new things and the progress that goes along with them. “ERROR – The Art of Imperfection” takes an artistic approach to exploring what choices we have for taking action in this context or, to put it more precisely, what choices we must create. After all, our future depends to a large extent on recognizing deviations from the norm and deciding freely whether to tolerate them and even make them into new norms, or whether to resist deviations that go beyond what we can tolerate. Only if we succeed in doing so can our pluralistic and democratic society endure. The attempt to prevent every deviation is – regardless of technology – doomed to failure: Either because it cannot succeed or because it succeeds so well that our society will gradually lose the attributes of pluralism and democracy altogether.
ERROR and IRRITATION
Thanks in large part to the current US President, the term “Fake News” has become common parlance all over the world. It has never been so hard to tell facts and fakes apart. Once it was mainly a matter of content, but today it is almost impossible to identify the author of that content or even to determine whether the author is a person or a computer program. Soon we may lose our sense of what the norm actually is and what would be a deviation from it, an ERROR. But how to deal with the irritation? What does it take to avoid being deceived by appearances in the digital age?
Thanks in large part to the current US President, the term “Fake News” has become common parlance all over the world. It has never been so hard to tell facts and fakes apart. Once it was mainly a matter of content, but today it is almost impossible to identify the author of that content or even to determine whether the author is a person or a computer program. Soon we may lose our sense of what the norm actually is and what would be a deviation from it, an ERROR. But how to deal with the irritation? What does it take to avoid being deceived by appearances in the digital age?
ERROR and ORDER
An ERROR can only occur in an ordered system – without rules and norms there can be no deviation. Principles of order are necessary for people and the societies we build. However, these rules are never set in stone – like ourselves and our society, they are subject to constant change. Rules are made, not only to be followed, but to be broken. But how do we maintain the delicate balance between accepting our rules and breaking them when necessary?
An ERROR can only occur in an ordered system – without rules and norms there can be no deviation. Principles of order are necessary for people and the societies we build. However, these rules are never set in stone – like ourselves and our society, they are subject to constant change. Rules are made, not only to be followed, but to be broken. But how do we maintain the delicate balance between accepting our rules and breaking them when necessary?
ERROR and its VALUE
Failures and mistakes often give rise to celebrated innovations, fostering new things and the progress that goes along with them. But who defines whether an ERROR is positive or negative? How does this evaluation relate to the society and culture in which it is made and how does it change over time? Will yesterday’s bad ERRORs turn out to be the beneficial ERRORs of tomorrow?
ERROR and CONTROL
Without control we wouldn’t be able to identify many ERRORs as such. Only when we analyze them can we determine their cause and document their consequences. In other words, it is only through control that we obtain those facts that enable us to evaluate ERRORs and decide as a society whether we wish to tolerate them or not.
Failures and mistakes often give rise to celebrated innovations, fostering new things and the progress that goes along with them. But who defines whether an ERROR is positive or negative? How does this evaluation relate to the society and culture in which it is made and how does it change over time? Will yesterday’s bad ERRORs turn out to be the beneficial ERRORs of tomorrow?
ERROR and CONTROL
Without control we wouldn’t be able to identify many ERRORs as such. Only when we analyze them can we determine their cause and document their consequences. In other words, it is only through control that we obtain those facts that enable us to evaluate ERRORs and decide as a society whether we wish to tolerate them or not.
ERROR – The Art of Imperfection
Opening: 17 November 2018 / Closing: 17 February 2019
Location: DRIVE. Volkswagen Group Forum
Opening: 17 November 2018 / Closing: 17 February 2019
Location: DRIVE. Volkswagen Group Forum
Artists and Projects:
Georgie Pinn (AU) / ECHO and Kendyl Ross (CA)
Attila Csörgő (HU) / CLOCK WORK, OCCURENCE GRAPH
Emanuel Gollob (AT) in cooperation with Johannes Braumann (University of Art and Design Linz (AT), Creative Robotics) / ROBOT DOING NOTHING
Stefan Tiefengraber (AT) / DSD-08AS
Prokop Bartoníček (CZ) & Benjamin Maus (DE) / JLLER
So Kanno (JP) & Yang02 (JP) / ASEMIC LANGUAGES
Waltz Binaire (DE) / NARCISS
LarbitsSisters (BE) / BITSOIL POPUP TAX & HACK CAMPAIGN
Anna Ridler (UK) / MOSAIC Virus, MYRIAD (Tulips)
César Escudero Andaluz & Martín Nadal (ES) / BITTERCOIN the worst miner ever
Mushon Zer-Aviv (IL), Dan Stavy (IL), Eran Weissenstern (IL) / THE NORMALIZING MACHINE
Adam Harvey / VFRAME – Visual Forensics and Advanced Metadata Extraction
Robertina Šebjanič (SI), Gjino Šutić (HR) / AQUA_FORENSIC underwater interception of biotweaking in aquatocene
Claudia Rohrmoser (AT/DE) / DIN neutral white
Georgie Pinn (AU) / ECHO and Kendyl Ross (CA)
Attila Csörgő (HU) / CLOCK WORK, OCCURENCE GRAPH
Emanuel Gollob (AT) in cooperation with Johannes Braumann (University of Art and Design Linz (AT), Creative Robotics) / ROBOT DOING NOTHING
Stefan Tiefengraber (AT) / DSD-08AS
Prokop Bartoníček (CZ) & Benjamin Maus (DE) / JLLER
So Kanno (JP) & Yang02 (JP) / ASEMIC LANGUAGES
Waltz Binaire (DE) / NARCISS
LarbitsSisters (BE) / BITSOIL POPUP TAX & HACK CAMPAIGN
Anna Ridler (UK) / MOSAIC Virus, MYRIAD (Tulips)
César Escudero Andaluz & Martín Nadal (ES) / BITTERCOIN the worst miner ever
Mushon Zer-Aviv (IL), Dan Stavy (IL), Eran Weissenstern (IL) / THE NORMALIZING MACHINE
Adam Harvey / VFRAME – Visual Forensics and Advanced Metadata Extraction
Robertina Šebjanič (SI), Gjino Šutić (HR) / AQUA_FORENSIC underwater interception of biotweaking in aquatocene
Claudia Rohrmoser (AT/DE) / DIN neutral white
Curated by: Manuela Naveau (Director Ars Electronica EXPORT)
Communication design: MOOI Design, Letitia Lehner
Communication design: MOOI Design, Letitia Lehner
Ars Electronica EXPORT
ARS ELECTRONICA EXPORT develops custom-made exhibitions and workshop programs for clients worldwide. Thanks to Ars Electronica’s international network and its substantial experience in curating and producing festivals and exhibitions, Ars Electronica Export is a sought-after partner for many museums, festivals, and exhibition platforms. Ars Electronica EXPORT is a division of Ars Electronica Linz GmbH & CoKG, a subsidiary of the city of Linz.
ars.electronica.art/export
ARS ELECTRONICA EXPORT develops custom-made exhibitions and workshop programs for clients worldwide. Thanks to Ars Electronica’s international network and its substantial experience in curating and producing festivals and exhibitions, Ars Electronica Export is a sought-after partner for many museums, festivals, and exhibition platforms. Ars Electronica EXPORT is a division of Ars Electronica Linz GmbH & CoKG, a subsidiary of the city of Linz.
ars.electronica.art/export
DRIVE. Volkswagen Group Forum
The Volkswagen Group Forum DRIVE is the communication platform of Volkswagen AG in Berlin. Since 2015, the Volkswagen group has been presenting its twelve brands and the Financial Services Corporation in the Lindencorso in the heart of the capital. With changing exhibitions for brands and special topics, DRIVE is the company’s platform for mobility themes, supplemented by a multifaceted framework program.
www.drive-volkswagen-group.com
The Volkswagen Group Forum DRIVE is the communication platform of Volkswagen AG in Berlin. Since 2015, the Volkswagen group has been presenting its twelve brands and the Financial Services Corporation in the Lindencorso in the heart of the capital. With changing exhibitions for brands and special topics, DRIVE is the company’s platform for mobility themes, supplemented by a multifaceted framework program.
www.drive-volkswagen-group.com
BitSoil Popup Tax & Hack Campaign / LarbitsSisters (BE) / Fotocredit: vog.photo / Printversion / Album
