When the umbilical cord is cut, the biological bond between the baby and the mother is removed. Simultaneously, our bodies begin to weave new connections with the world, rendering us not solitary beings but a fragment of a complex, intricate system that has been beyond our comprehension since our birth.
Ties are the threads that compose our narratives. The ties we have with all forms of entities weave networks of relationships. These relationships, in turn, shape our self-awareness. Over time, our evolving awareness, nurtured by these ties, enlightened our thoughts about the past and the future.
Ties That Cannot Be Unbound is an online virtual exhibition curated by UAAD, which aims to inspire a collective effort to reframe and reshape our relationship with the world around us, paving the way toward a more sustainable and harmonious future. The project invites audiences to confront their preconceived notions of material possessions, and explore the potential of a new mode of engagement with the world beyond the anthropocentric conception.
Ties That Cannot Be Unbound discusses the ties between our bodies and the environment, the blurred boundaries between the living and the non-living, and the interconnectedness of spirituality and physicality through digital media art. When we discuss the concept of ties, it's not just the ties themselves that demand our attention, but also the targets at either end that create a spectrum of connection. Each artwork in the exhibition can be located on this spectrum, reflecting the unique nature of its ties and its place within the complex network of relationships that make up our world. What kinds of ties are impossible to unbind? Featuring outstanding works in the fields of sound, image, and interaction, this exhibition responds to this question through the work of artists from a variety of countries. The exhibition space is constructed on a virtual platform with the image of an organic creature, a fungus that becomes a habitat for multimedia artworks. It is divided into three pathways that lead the viewer to three different issues: Bodies & Environment, Spirituality & Physicality, and Organisms & Artifacts.
