DEAF2014: THE PROGRESS TRAP
DEAF2014 PHOTO & VIDEOSTREAM and
Shortlist in the media
On our Facebook you can find an impression of DEAF2014 with photo's, video's and our shortlist in the media. And don't forget Vimeo! Missing something and want to add a pic? don't hesitate to leave a message in our inbox.
Theme: The Progress Trap
The DEAF2014 biennale theme is The Progress Trap. Progress has become a means to an end in itself and has been decoupled from the cultural, ecological and social advances that it was supposed to help achieve. However seductive quick gains from technological solutions are, their temporary victories in the short term may cause much worse and bigger problems in the long run, luring us into The Progress Trap.
Programme
For this 10th edition DEAF2014 has an exciting programme lined up that addresses the notion of The Progress Trap in many different ways. Exhibitions, keynotes, seminars, working sessions, evenings of …, films, performances and a satellite programme invite you to come and explore the theme “The Progress Trap”.
DEAF2014’s thematic exhibition in Het Nieuwe Instituut addresses the unsustainable character of our current notion of progress by contrasting the lure of technology with artistic responses to our techno-centric notion of progress and attempts to escape the trap it results in. Dark Matter by Julie Mecoli for instance reminds us of the impermanence of all human endeavors and Lucas Foglia photographed people living off the grid for his Natural Order series, have they found a way out?
DEAF2014 also asked three special guests to give a keynote presentation: Alexa Clay, Adam Greenfield and Ronald Wright, of whom the latter coined the term “progress trap” in his bestselling book A Short History of Progress.
The theme will be addressed in a series of seminars and working sessions programmed by Het Nieuwe Instituut. How can we avoid becoming programmable? How can the cultural sector contribute towards new forms of learning, economy, and the development of future scenarios?
These are only a few of the many seminars, performances, artists, installations and artworks that DEAF2014 has on offer.
Partners: Het Nieuwe Instituut and V2_
This year DEAF is delighted with its new partnership with Het Nieuwe Instituut. DEAF and Het Nieuwe Instituut have entered this partnership in the conviction that together they can further increase and deepen the impact and meaning of DEAF: both have a critical approach to innovation, act within a cultural context and think and work beyond the boundaries of the classical creative disciplines.
Founding partner V2_ Institute for the Unstable Media, an interdisciplinary centre for art and media technology, has been organising DEAF since 1994. Since 2012 DEAF has been independent, with V2_ remaining on board as one of the main partners. By doing so, DEAF is given the room to develop more and new collaboration with other Dutch partners and stakeholders and grow as a platform for Dutch electronic art while remaining close bounds to V2_.
het Nieuwe Instituut presents the programme TIME
In 2014 it is exactly one hundred years since the First World War broke out. Het Nieuwe Instituut takes this opportunity to investigate the relation between conflict and innovation through a series of projects. The collaboration with DEAF 2014 is part of the second project in this series of four, collectively presented under the title 1914-2014 Conflict and Innovation. The other projects address the themes neutrality, peacekeeping and scarcity in relation to innovation and design practice.
Het Nieuwe Instituut was founded on January 1, 2013, as a result of a merger of the Dutch Architecture Institute, Premsela, Dutch Institute for Design and Fashion and Virtual Platform, knowledge institute for e-culture. In times of radical technological, economical, cultural and social change, Het Nieuwe Instituut aims to chart this rapidly evolving world, while at the same time developing a discourse on topics related to the design field.
Design and innovation form key concepts in all the activities of Het Nieuwe Instituut. These concepts are always viewed in relation to a changing value system. In this context, Het Nieuwe Instituut is pleased to collaborate with V2_ and DEAF in order to address issues on technology and progress within a cultural context. We look forward to welcoming DEAF2014 at Het Nieuwe Instituut!
Are you going to visit DEAF2014? Join the Facebook event for the latest updates
