Imagine a time before the Internet. Hard, isn’t it? The all-powerful Web and its ability to decentralize infrastructure and make other networks obsolete is the subject of the 33rd Transmediale, titled “End to End.” Running until this Saturday (01.02.2020), the festival for art and digital culture will be exploring how we can approach the concept of the network again – critically, socially and personally. The group exhibition “The Eternal Network” at the Haus der Kulturen der Welt takes us back to the 1960s to address historical issues while making room for contemporary perspectives, while in the video installation “Molecular Sex” from Swiss artist Johanna Bruckner, human and artificial intelligence confront each other directly. AI is also an integral part of the Film & Video Day at the HKW: In Lawrence Lek’s feature film, a fading pop star has new songs written by a computer – “Aidol” – to great success. The week concludes with a two-day symposium, with panels, performances and screenings at the Volksbühne focusing on the pressing questions of what will replace today’s networked systems in the future and what role global political issues (like the climate crisis) will play. This year’s Transmediale focuses on message transfer – so it’s time to expand your own network. (Text: Hanna Komornitzyk / Photos: Ismaël Joffroy Chandoutis, Le Fresnoy & Lawrence Lek & Johanna Bruckner)
Transmediale – End to End
Festival week: 28.01. – 01.02.2020
Tickets available online.
Group Exhibition: The Eternal Network
Haus der Kulturen der Welt, John-Foster-Dulles-Allee 10, 10557 Berlin–Tiergarten; map
During festival week:
Thu 30.01., 11–22h & Fri 31.01. – Sat 02.02., 11–20h
After festival week:
03.02. – 01.03.2020
Mon, Wed, Fri–Sun 12–19h
Thu 12–22h
Volksbühne, Linienstr.227, 10178 Berlin–Mitte; map
Symposium: End to End, Fri 31.01. & Sat 01.02., 10h30–0h
@transmediale
