Exhibition Exhibition Date: February 6th 2021
Location: Check Out the Exhibition Page, Discord Live Chat at 6:00 PM PST.
Facilitated by: Jon Dawes
Featuring: Louise Chow, Jon Dawes, Edwin Kumar, Paris Kumar, Christopher Alan Slater, Kay Slater, Lisa Smedman, and Vaysha Hirsch Todorovich!
Check out our Event Page – Archived – from February 6th, 2021
In the early nineteenth century, an artistic, literary, musical and intellectual movement called Romanticism flourished in Europe and elsewhere. One of the fundamental values of the movement was individual inspiration, with originality being lauded over conformity to established methods and principles. There was also a feeling of reverence for the beauty of nature contrasted with the works of human beings in the Industrial Revolution.
Against this backdrop, Mary Shelley wrote a novel that is still famous today: “Frankenstein; or, The Modern Prometheus”. In doing so, she introduced the world to a posthuman intelligence with a Romantic heart. Rather than being born of human parents, Frankenstein’s monster was created by a human being out of human body parts. After being rejected by human society, he reacted violently and demanded that another creature be made as his companion. After further betrayal by his creator, the creature sought solitude in the nature that he loved.
Since then, science and science fiction have offered up many variants on posthuman intelligence. We have genetically enhanced humans, uplifted animals, computer AIs, nano-swarm hive minds, alien hybrids, clones, and many more. Imagine what it would be like to be one of these posthuman entities who has embraced the idea of Romanticism and has set out to create a work of art. How does the fact that you were created by the artifice of humans inform your take on what is natural? How does individual inspiration and originality come to one who inherits a background of mass production?
Works from the Posthuman Romantics Exhibition
- A Measure of Laughter or More
- Brambles and Spores
- Deep Inside
- Deep Inside V1
- DENEGATIO TRASCENDENTIUM
- Neither Are Human
- Posthuman Romantics
- Sutra Sonnets
- The Cosmologist’s Portfolio
- 雷, Perfect 脑
Workshops & Pre-Exhibition Performances:
Saturday, December 19 @ 6PM – Human, English, Romantic, Poetry – A poetry reading by MNRKR1381-3 Series 3. Join us for an online performance by artist Kay Slater as they step into the metal foot caps of MNRKR1381-3 Series 3 to deliver a series of poems from the 19 century.
Saturday, January 2 @ 6PM – Join exhibition facilitator Jon Dawes and ask your questions about the exhibition, and learn more about the Romantics and Romanticism prior to submitting your projects!
References:
https://aslcore.org/art/entries/?id=romanticism – ASL explanation of Romanticism
https://www.metmuseum.org/toah/hd/roma/hd_roma.htm – An essay about Romanticism by Kathryn Calley Galitz, Department of European Paintings, The Metropolitan Museum of Art, October 2004