Desktop Studies pavilion for The Wrong Biennale

'A hundred years I'd die for you' acts as a starting point to delve into the exploration of the profound relationship between the organic and the digital domains. This concept aims to investigate the transcendence that occurs when the organic and digital realms converge, blurring the boundaries between them. The organic-digital relationship signifies the interplay between the inherently human qualities of emotions, experiences, and consciousness, and the ethereal nature of the digital landscape. It is an exploration of how these two seemingly distinct realms intertwine, influence one another, and potentially transform our understanding of existence. The concept centers around the idea that the organic and the digital are not separate entities, but rather interconnected facets. It questions the traditional dichotomy between the tangible and the virtual, suggesting that their convergence leads to a new realm of perception and understanding. The ground from which I start is a state of uncertainty, which I think is chained to our behaviour. The future past, as a possible reality, takes the concept of evolution defined by nature, human, and digital relations through the extreme of becoming a hybrid of materialities. Inspired by Rosi Braidotti’s concept of becoming machine, becoming ground and animal, I choose to manufacture this idea by playing with the materiality of what we know as being “normal”, metamorphosing they’re origin. Exploring the human relationship with devices becomes an integral part, it delves into the evolving dynamics between humans and technology, highlighting the impact of devices on our perception, identity, and interconnectedness. At the heart of these artworks lie organic forms, embodied by chains, delicately interwoven strands, or sinuous shapes. These elements symbolize the fluidity, growth, and interconnectedness found in nature and human experiences. They evoke a sense of vitality, movement, and the complexity of organic life. Contrasting with the organic, the metallic materials in the artworks embody the industrial and technological aspects of our world.

Bio:
Marta Mattioli (b. 1998, Sansepolcro, Italy) is a visual artist with double origins, rooted in Romanian and Italian culture. Her practice is based on the diversity of available mediums and by the coexistence of digital and physical reality. The artist is also a young Kinema Ikon & Atelier 35 member, currently living and working in Bucharest, Romania. Mainly working with the 3D medium, her work is meant to recreate a reality stuck between utopia and the dystopic possibilities of the future, approaching concepts that define the organic – digital hybridization. 

'A hundred years I'd die for you' acts as a starting point to delve into the exploration of the profound relationship between the organic and the digital domains. This concept aims to investigate the transcendence that occurs when the organic and digital realms converge, blurring the boundaries between them. The organic-digital relationship signifies the interplay between the inherently human qualities of emotions, experiences, and consciousness, and the ethereal nature of the digital landscape. It is an exploration of how these two seemingly distinct realms intertwine, influence one another, and potentially transform our understanding of existence. The concept centers around the idea that the organic and the digital are not separate entities, but rather interconnected facets. It questions the traditional dichotomy between the tangible and the virtual, suggesting that their convergence leads to a new realm of perception and understanding. The ground from which I start is a state of uncertainty, which I think is chained to our behaviour. The future past, as a possible reality, takes the concept of evolution defined by nature, human, and digital relations through the extreme of becoming a hybrid of materialities. Inspired by Rosi Braidotti’s concept of becoming machine, becoming ground and animal, I choose to manufacture this idea by playing with the materiality of what we know as being “normal”, metamorphosing they’re origin. Exploring the human relationship with devices becomes an integral part, it delves into the evolving dynamics between humans and technology, highlighting the impact of devices on our perception, identity, and interconnectedness. At the heart of these artworks lie organic forms, embodied by chains, delicately interwoven strands, or sinuous shapes. These elements symbolize the fluidity, growth, and interconnectedness found in nature and human experiences. They evoke a sense of vitality, movement, and the complexity of organic life. Contrasting with the organic, the metallic materials in the artworks embody the industrial and technological aspects of our world.

Bio:
Marta Mattioli (b. 1998, Sansepolcro, Italy) is a visual artist with double origins, rooted in Romanian and Italian culture. Her practice is based on the diversity of available mediums and by the coexistence of digital and physical reality. The artist is also a young Kinema Ikon & Atelier 35 member, currently living and working in Bucharest, Romania. Mainly working with the 3D medium, her work is meant to recreate a reality stuck between utopia and the dystopic possibilities of the future, approaching concepts that define the organic – digital hybridization. 

'A hundred years I'd die for you' acts as a starting point to delve into the exploration of the profound relationship between the organic and the digital domains. This concept aims to investigate the transcendence that occurs when the organic and digital realms converge, blurring the boundaries between them. The organic-digital relationship signifies the interplay between the inherently human qualities of emotions, experiences, and consciousness, and the ethereal nature of the digital landscape. It is an exploration of how these two seemingly distinct realms intertwine, influence one another, and potentially transform our understanding of existence. The concept centers around the idea that the organic and the digital are not separate entities, but rather interconnected facets. It questions the traditional dichotomy between the tangible and the virtual, suggesting that their convergence leads to a new realm of perception and understanding. The ground from which I start is a state of uncertainty, which I think is chained to our behaviour. The future past, as a possible reality, takes the concept of evolution defined by nature, human, and digital relations through the extreme of becoming a hybrid of materialities. Inspired by Rosi Braidotti’s concept of becoming machine, becoming ground and animal, I choose to manufacture this idea by playing with the materiality of what we know as being “normal”, metamorphosing they’re origin. Exploring the human relationship with devices becomes an integral part, it delves into the evolving dynamics between humans and technology, highlighting the impact of devices on our perception, identity, and interconnectedness. At the heart of these artworks lie organic forms, embodied by chains, delicately interwoven strands, or sinuous shapes. These elements symbolize the fluidity, growth, and interconnectedness found in nature and human experiences. They evoke a sense of vitality, movement, and the complexity of organic life. Contrasting with the organic, the metallic materials in the artworks embody the industrial and technological aspects of our world.

Bio:
Marta Mattioli (b. 1998, Sansepolcro, Italy) is a visual artist with double origins, rooted in Romanian and Italian culture. Her practice is based on the diversity of available mediums and by the coexistence of digital and physical reality. The artist is also a young Kinema Ikon & Atelier 35 member, currently living and working in Bucharest, Romania. Mainly working with the 3D medium, her work is meant to recreate a reality stuck between utopia and the dystopic possibilities of the future, approaching concepts that define the organic – digital hybridization. 

'A hundred years I'd die for you' acts as a starting point to delve into the exploration of the profound relationship between the organic and the digital domains. This concept aims to investigate the transcendence that occurs when the organic and digital realms converge, blurring the boundaries between them. The organic-digital relationship signifies the interplay between the inherently human qualities of emotions, experiences, and consciousness, and the ethereal nature of the digital landscape. It is an exploration of how these two seemingly distinct realms intertwine, influence one another, and potentially transform our understanding of existence. The concept centers around the idea that the organic and the digital are not separate entities, but rather interconnected facets. It questions the traditional dichotomy between the tangible and the virtual, suggesting that their convergence leads to a new realm of perception and understanding. The ground from which I start is a state of uncertainty, which I think is chained to our behaviour. The future past, as a possible reality, takes the concept of evolution defined by nature, human, and digital relations through the extreme of becoming a hybrid of materialities. Inspired by Rosi Braidotti’s concept of becoming machine, becoming ground and animal, I choose to manufacture this idea by playing with the materiality of what we know as being “normal”, metamorphosing they’re origin. Exploring the human relationship with devices becomes an integral part, it delves into the evolving dynamics between humans and technology, highlighting the impact of devices on our perception, identity, and interconnectedness. At the heart of these artworks lie organic forms, embodied by chains, delicately interwoven strands, or sinuous shapes. These elements symbolize the fluidity, growth, and interconnectedness found in nature and human experiences. They evoke a sense of vitality, movement, and the complexity of organic life. Contrasting with the organic, the metallic materials in the artworks embody the industrial and technological aspects of our world.

Bio:
Marta Mattioli (b. 1998, Sansepolcro, Italy) is a visual artist with double origins, rooted in Romanian and Italian culture. Her practice is based on the diversity of available mediums and by the coexistence of digital and physical reality. The artist is also a young Kinema Ikon & Atelier 35 member, currently living and working in Bucharest, Romania. Mainly working with the 3D medium, her work is meant to recreate a reality stuck between utopia and the dystopic possibilities of the future, approaching concepts that define the organic – digital hybridization. 

'A hundred years I'd die for you' acts as a starting point to delve into the exploration of the profound relationship between the organic and the digital domains. This concept aims to investigate the transcendence that occurs when the organic and digital realms converge, blurring the boundaries between them. The organic-digital relationship signifies the interplay between the inherently human qualities of emotions, experiences, and consciousness, and the ethereal nature of the digital landscape. It is an exploration of how these two seemingly distinct realms intertwine, influence one another, and potentially transform our understanding of existence. The concept centers around the idea that the organic and the digital are not separate entities, but rather interconnected facets. It questions the traditional dichotomy between the tangible and the virtual, suggesting that their convergence leads to a new realm of perception and understanding. The ground from which I start is a state of uncertainty, which I think is chained to our behaviour. The future past, as a possible reality, takes the concept of evolution defined by nature, human, and digital relations through the extreme of becoming a hybrid of materialities. Inspired by Rosi Braidotti’s concept of becoming machine, becoming ground and animal, I choose to manufacture this idea by playing with the materiality of what we know as being “normal”, metamorphosing they’re origin. Exploring the human relationship with devices becomes an integral part, it delves into the evolving dynamics between humans and technology, highlighting the impact of devices on our perception, identity, and interconnectedness. At the heart of these artworks lie organic forms, embodied by chains, delicately interwoven strands, or sinuous shapes. These elements symbolize the fluidity, growth, and interconnectedness found in nature and human experiences. They evoke a sense of vitality, movement, and the complexity of organic life. Contrasting with the organic, the metallic materials in the artworks embody the industrial and technological aspects of our world.

Bio:
Marta Mattioli (b. 1998, Sansepolcro, Italy) is a visual artist with double origins, rooted in Romanian and Italian culture. Her practice is based on the diversity of available mediums and by the coexistence of digital and physical reality. The artist is also a young Kinema Ikon & Atelier 35 member, currently living and working in Bucharest, Romania. Mainly working with the 3D medium, her work is meant to recreate a reality stuck between utopia and the dystopic possibilities of the future, approaching concepts that define the organic – digital hybridization. 

'A hundred years I'd die for you' acts as a starting point to delve into the exploration of the profound relationship between the organic and the digital domains. This concept aims to investigate the transcendence that occurs when the organic and digital realms converge, blurring the boundaries between them. The organic-digital relationship signifies the interplay between the inherently human qualities of emotions, experiences, and consciousness, and the ethereal nature of the digital landscape. It is an exploration of how these two seemingly distinct realms intertwine, influence one another, and potentially transform our understanding of existence. The concept centers around the idea that the organic and the digital are not separate entities, but rather interconnected facets. It questions the traditional dichotomy between the tangible and the virtual, suggesting that their convergence leads to a new realm of perception and understanding. The ground from which I start is a state of uncertainty, which I think is chained to our behaviour. The future past, as a possible reality, takes the concept of evolution defined by nature, human, and digital relations through the extreme of becoming a hybrid of materialities. Inspired by Rosi Braidotti’s concept of becoming machine, becoming ground and animal, I choose to manufacture this idea by playing with the materiality of what we know as being “normal”, metamorphosing they’re origin. Exploring the human relationship with devices becomes an integral part, it delves into the evolving dynamics between humans and technology, highlighting the impact of devices on our perception, identity, and interconnectedness. At the heart of these artworks lie organic forms, embodied by chains, delicately interwoven strands, or sinuous shapes. These elements symbolize the fluidity, growth, and interconnectedness found in nature and human experiences. They evoke a sense of vitality, movement, and the complexity of organic life. Contrasting with the organic, the metallic materials in the artworks embody the industrial and technological aspects of our world.

Bio:
Marta Mattioli (b. 1998, Sansepolcro, Italy) is a visual artist with double origins, rooted in Romanian and Italian culture. Her practice is based on the diversity of available mediums and by the coexistence of digital and physical reality. The artist is also a young Kinema Ikon & Atelier 35 member, currently living and working in Bucharest, Romania. Mainly working with the 3D medium, her work is meant to recreate a reality stuck between utopia and the dystopic possibilities of the future, approaching concepts that define the organic – digital hybridization. 

‘Urban Dreams, Coffee Cup Schemes’ it is a reimagining of the quintessential computer-worker as a cockroach hybrid, drawing a parallel between these often demonized insects and the individuals who have borne witness to the evolution of Homo sapiens on its technologically-obsessed journey. Cockroaches, survivors throughout history, stand as a testament to resilience and adaptability, akin to those who navigate the complexities of contemporary society. It is here, in this most advanced society of all times, that the harsh reality is revealed : those who work tirelessly, those who are the backbone of this high-tech advancement, are often the very ones who bear the brunt of social inequality.
The dancing characters with coffee-cup heads represent the collective pursuit of distraction from the harsh realities of the productivity culture. These characters "venerate" this culture not out of genuine belief but as a satirical commentary on the unhealthy grind of life, where existence is reduced to mere numbers and descriptions on spreadsheets, and the pursuit of happiness is subsumed by the demands of a relentless corporate machinery.

Bio:
Nicoleta Mureș (b.1996) is a graduate of the University of Art and Design in Cluj-Napoca. By using photography and 3D human bodies, she creates digital collages representing individuals trapped in virtual realms. Her artworks predict a dystopian future, where people have to deal with unreal emotions, isolation, disembodiment while being influenced by the way in which technology fuels humanity’s desire to consume.

Decorative carcasses on ground floors of Art Deco modernist buildings can be considered as an aestheticization of protection. Protection, security, safety come as a very basic modern function with access limitation, security guards, surveillance cameras, barriers. In such secured spaces like offices and shopping malls, material surfaces come mostly as sterile polished metal and glass details. We observe hybrid security structures in abstract virtual landscapes, including medieval, mid-war, communist and modern elements. These carcasses appear as shapes that lost their direct security function in a post-human environment.

Bio:
Vitaly Yankovy (Vinnytsia, Ukraine / Bucharest, Romania) is a multidisciplinary visual artist, designer, researcher and experimental musician. Finished Contemporary art course at School of visual communication (Kyiv) in 2014 (curated by Catherina Badianova and Lada Nakonechna). Finished Indie Lab documentary school in Kyiv (2018) and American Art Incubator, organized by Izolyatsia and Zero1 (2020). Works with video essays, animation, 3D, drawing, readymades, sculpture and sound. Artistic practice builds around hybrid landscapes, which consist both of physical and digital objects. Currently interested in creating objects from leftovers of material culture and relations between digital and material matter through optics of non-human and post-human studies.

'360° Stereoscopic Landscape Painting' explores the intricate ways in which digital technologies shape our perception of the natural landscape, as well as how we engage with various portrayals of the natural world through digital devices. At the center of this exploration lies a landscape painting - a synthesis of an imaginary landscape and a 3D scan of a physical terrain. The painting can be experienced in multiple digital settings, each unveiling its distinctive characteristics as well as its limitations. This painting takes on various forms, functioning as an interactive object, a static object, or a video that provides insights into its creation, serving as a visual description and commentary on its origin and materiality. 

Highlighting differences through repetition underscores the central theme of the work: evolving perceptions within diverse digital environments.  This exploration delves into the process of shaping experiences through multiple interactions with objects and examines how the context in which we encounter these objects influences our understanding. The recurring experience of the painting in various digital settings highlights the unique attributes and limitations of each environment, which are also mirrored by the painting. Whether it's an individual experience in a desktop web browser, a multiplayer exhibition accessible on computers and mobile devices, or a virtual reality environment, each form of engagement provides a distinct perspective. 

The work also contemplates the influence of digital technology on the realm of painting and how our interactions with digital objects might potentially reshape established conventions concerning our engagement with artistic objects in the physical world.


Bio:
Claudia Brăileanu is a Romanian transmedia artist based in Bucharest. Drawing on her background in painting, she produces works that investigate how digital technologies are influencing and shaping the medium of painting. She develops a visual vocabulary that enables her to explore and describe the interplay between the physical and virtual realms and its impact on our perception of painting. She sees the medium as a valuable resource to understand the intricate ways in which digital technologies are transforming our engagement with the world.
Her practice encompasses painting, 3D digital animation, virtual reality, augmented reality and digital prints.

‘Urban Dreams, Coffee Cup Schemes’ it is a reimagining of the quintessential computer-worker as a cockroach hybrid, drawing a parallel between these often demonized insects and the individuals who have borne witness to the evolution of Homo sapiens on its technologically-obsessed journey. Cockroaches, survivors throughout history, stand as a testament to resilience and adaptability, akin to those who navigate the complexities of contemporary society. It is here, in this most advanced society of all times, that the harsh reality is revealed : those who work tirelessly, those who are the backbone of this high-tech advancement, are often the very ones who bear the brunt of social inequality.
The dancing characters with coffee-cup heads represent the collective pursuit of distraction from the harsh realities of the productivity culture. These characters "venerate" this culture not out of genuine belief but as a satirical commentary on the unhealthy grind of life, where existence is reduced to mere numbers and descriptions on spreadsheets, and the pursuit of happiness is subsumed by the demands of a relentless corporate machinery.

Bio:
Nicoleta Mureș (b.1996) is a graduate of the University of Art and Design in Cluj-Napoca. By using photography and 3D human bodies, she creates digital collages representing individuals trapped in virtual realms. Her artworks predict a dystopian future, where people have to deal with unreal emotions, isolation, disembodiment while being influenced by the way in which technology fuels humanity’s desire to consume.

‘Urban Dreams, Coffee Cup Schemes’ it is a reimagining of the quintessential computer-worker as a cockroach hybrid, drawing a parallel between these often demonized insects and the individuals who have borne witness to the evolution of Homo sapiens on its technologically-obsessed journey. Cockroaches, survivors throughout history, stand as a testament to resilience and adaptability, akin to those who navigate the complexities of contemporary society. It is here, in this most advanced society of all times, that the harsh reality is revealed : those who work tirelessly, those who are the backbone of this high-tech advancement, are often the very ones who bear the brunt of social inequality.
The dancing characters with coffee-cup heads represent the collective pursuit of distraction from the harsh realities of the productivity culture. These characters "venerate" this culture not out of genuine belief but as a satirical commentary on the unhealthy grind of life, where existence is reduced to mere numbers and descriptions on spreadsheets, and the pursuit of happiness is subsumed by the demands of a relentless corporate machinery.

Bio:
Nicoleta Mureș (b.1996) is a graduate of the University of Art and Design in Cluj-Napoca. By using photography and 3D human bodies, she creates digital collages representing individuals trapped in virtual realms. Her artworks predict a dystopian future, where people have to deal with unreal emotions, isolation, disembodiment while being influenced by the way in which technology fuels humanity’s desire to consume.

In 1987 Apple published the Macintosh Human Interface Guidelines – a document summarizing the visual principles behind the MacOS user interface. In a pursuit towards popularizing personal computing throughout the 1980s, Apple embraced metaphor as a core idea in interface design: presenting the user with concepts already familiar from everyday life, as a means towards easing the software learning curve.

The desktop metaphor is one popular instance of metaphor usage in interface design. It models a computer's working area as if it were the user's desk, viewed from above, and recontextualizes objects found in the office (such as files, folders or trash cans) into digital entities.

This two channel video engages with and reverses the skeuomorphism of the desktop metaphor. The default landscape photograph which serves as desktop wallpaper evolves from visual backdrop to full-blown ecosystem, which is being watched (left channel) and watching (right channel) at the same time. Human presence is not directly portrayed, but implied through the design of the scene – the museum-like setting invites the spectator to project their gaze into the landscape. 3-dimensional models of the folder icon serve as the visual liaison between the two spaces, slowly overflowing the scene throughout the course of the video. Original text by Apple, arguing for the use of metaphor in interface design, is shown on the screen, while elements of nature (trees and flowers) rotate in the center of each channel, in reference to the most popular motion graphics gestures in loading screens.


Bio: 
Cezar Mocan (b. 1993) is a Lisbon-based artist and computer programmer interested in the interplay between technology and the natural landscape. Using narrative generative systems—animated videos of infinite duration, real-time simulations built in game engines or other software—he creates worlds that recontextualize aspects of digital culture we take for granted, often in absurd ways, while investigating the power structures which mediate our relationship with technology. Cezar holds an undergraduate degree from Yale University and completed his post-graduate studies at New York University, where he also served as a research resident and adjunct professor.

'Desktop Studies' is co-funded by the National Cultural Fund Administration and does not necessarily represent the position of the AFCN. AFCN is not responsible for the content of the project or how the results of the project may be used. These are entirely the responsibility of the beneficiary of the funding.