Needy, Nerdy, Artificial – Episode 1

A 3D printed human-sized rabbit looks through a peephole and invites you to do the same. What does it see? What do you see? This installation by Nemanja Askov opens TITLED's new chain exhibition 'Needy, Nerdy, Artificial'.

Askov's interactive work explores the boundary between the synthetic and the natural. Viewers are invited to adopt the rabbit's perspective and question our relationship with technology and nature. This playful approach to profound issues sets the tone for the entire exhibition series.

'Needy, Nerdy, Artificial' takes place over four episodes from 23 August to 1 December 2024:
Episode 1: Nemanja Askov - 23 August, 2024
Episode 2: Rebecca Krasnik - 13 September, 2024
Episode 3: Ivan Grubanov - 11 October, 2024
Episode 4: Uffe Isolotto - 8 November, 2024

Each artist builds on the work of their predecessor, creating an unpredictable, creative chain reaction. From Askov's rabbit installation to Isolotto's final transformation of the gallery space, the exhibition explores historical narratives and technological mediation in new and surprising ways.

Nemanja Askov initiates the dialogue with an installation consisting of several interconnected elements. The centrepiece is a human-sized, modular sculpture of an anthropomorphic rabbit, 3D printed in segments and assembled on-site. Positioned against the wall, the rabbit peers through a peephole. Nearby, another peephole invites the viewer to imitate the rabbit. Both peepholes contain displays showing a nature scene that contrasts with the rabbit's synthetic world.

By imitating the sculpture, the viewer shifts to a non-human perspective, adopting the rabbit's artificial longing for nature and perhaps testing our ability to empathise with post-human intelligence. The sculpture incorporates a modular system of articulated joints, like an action figure, allowing for different postures. This mix of mobile and static components creates a dysfunctional functionality, embodying a potential for change that transcends simple representation.

The installation destabilises familiar structures by dissolving conventional relationships between artwork, gallery, and viewer. By looking through the peephole, the viewer becomes part of the installation. Instead of a singular perspective, Askov's installation offers multiple fragmented points of view.

Kilde:
TITLED