#desconexao
Desconexao comes from the portuguese 'disconnection', 'unplugged' and it is a series of digital illustrations that depict the irony of the modern life, where we have never been so connected with everything and everyone and, at the same time, never felt so lonely and isolated.
The idea came up as a side project of my master degree. At the time, I was extensively studying ways to design fully integrated environments and actual omnichannel experiences. However, it didn't take long for me to realize that the same technology that would allow such fluid connection was also responsible for keeping us so self centered and alone.
Thus, the subjects drawn mimic, in a non literal way, the ways we deal with technology, social networks and all the other things that make the post modern world what it is.
Each of the 10 illustrations that took part in the exhibition.
"It is this continuous embrace of our own technology in daily use that puts us in the Narcissus role of subliminal awareness and numbness in relation to these images of ourselves. By continuously embracing technologies, we relate ourselves to them as servo-mechanisms. That is why we must, to use them at all, serve these objects, these extensions of ourselves, as gods or minor religions. An Indian is the servo-mechanism of his canoe, as the cowboy of his horse or the executive of his clock." Marshall Mcluhan - Understanding Media The extensions of man
Representation of modern life's sexual interaction.
Adam and Eve in a post-apocaliptic-retro-futuristic scenario. Eva holds a walkie talkie with which she may never be able to communicate with. A reinterpretation of Albrecht Dürer
All the illustrations were fine art printed to maintain its vibrant and bright colours. The ideia behind it was to reinforce the irony and the contrast of what the scenes represent - it all may seem colorful and happy at first, but it takes just a little time for the observer to see the melancholy and sadness of all the characters.
It is also part of the criticism made by some author to design itself. When used just as a tool for marketing proposes, design works as a make up, a surface improvement to help promote an unsustainable lifestyle.
Photos taken to promote the exhibition. Photo: João P. Teles
The exhibition took place in a container gallery, created by local artist promoter Sandro Biondo. For a more complete experience, it was fully covered with poems written by the actress and screen writer Nathalia Cruz.
Getting everything done. Photo: Guilherme Dantas
It was open for visitor on the 16th September 2018 and remained there for one month.
The night before the openning. Photo: Guilherme Dantas
The whole creative process also worked as an input for an even deeper discussion regarding the correlation between design, art and science.
Although this was not a particularly new topic, it was really interesting to observe how these three areas interacted with each other and how different were the outputs from each of them, even when dealing with the same subject.
This multidisciplinary look also helped me realize how complex it is to deal with something so subtle as 'experience'.
The synthesis of this discussion was published at the #17.ART - 17th International Meeting of Art and Technology, in an article written by me and my professor Tiago Silva. The full published version can be read, in portuguese, here.