MUTEK and OBORO are excited to team up to present the virtual and augmented reality exhibition Living the Virtual as part of the Digital Detox initiative. Presented at OBORO's New Media Lab, the six selected works explore the theme of digital detox, our relationship to the natural world, and the impacts of digital technologies on our lives.
This exhibition aims to build bridges between OBORO and MUTEK’s artistic communities, to generate reflections and conversations around augmented and virtual reality, and to introduce the public to the practices of artists who are using these mediums.
Digital Detox is an initiative stemming from reflections that emerged in 2020 during the pandemic. Like many cultural organizations at the time, MUTEK moved its activities into the virtual space. We quickly noticed a distinct fatigue in our networks related to the consumption of screen-based content. This reflection was naturally extended into a questioning of the "ecological fatigue" generated by this sudden overproduction of digital nature. With Digital Detox, we hope to generate a concrete reflection around these themes.
MUTEK acknowledges the support of the Canada Council for the Arts as part of the Digital Detox special project.