exhibition
05/02/2010
- 27/03/2010

opening
05/02/2009
7 pm

greeting
Plamen Pejkov
Bulgarian Cultural Institute, director

speech
Balázs Beöthy

language HU EN  

 
Petko Dourmana:
Post Global Warming Survival Kit

The exhibition

Set in a world where nuclear winter was implemented as a radical solution to the global warming and flooding, the installation Post Global Warming Survival Kit represents the dwelling of a person who watches over the sea shoreline in a post-apocalyptic landscape almost devoid of organic life.
The landscape projection and all the lighting in the installation is in the near infrared part of the spectrum that is completely invisible for the bare human eye but visible with night vision devices that are provided to the audience. This is based on the assumption that when much of the sun light is blocked out from reaching the surface of the earth as is in the nuclear winter scenario, seeing in infrared becomes more useful in terms of surviving.
The installation is presented in completely dark space producing sensations of emptiness and fullness simultaneously when the visitor is walking around the shelter and entering inside.

Besides the ironic use of widely used in the mass media concepts as nuclear winter and global warming, as a solution of each other the project raises the question of what is bringing the future and what output of the technology and contemporary society can be used for surviving in climate change environment.
One can trace references to pivotal sci-fi books and movies in the installation and also historical reminiscences with the old analog communication and electrical devices used.
The landscape video used in the installation is shot on the coastline of North Sea that in practice is the most heavily modified coastline during the human history but also the economic pool of the industrial revolution.
Thus the loop of the sped-up tide on the projection seems to close the circle of environmental and climate changes started with the industrial revolution. There is one more circle that is getting closed in the installation - the missing position of the guard of the coastline in the post-apocalyptic setup in the installation is replaced by the viewers who become observers of the environment but also observers of themselves.

Post Global Warming Survival Kit is produced by Edith Russ Site for Media Art. Itwas nominated for the Transmediale Award in Berlin, 2009 and it was shown at numerous exhibitions, latest at the Sundance Festival in Park City.

About the artist

Petko Dourmana is a media artist based in Sofia, Bulgaria who, works in variable contemporary art forms involving technology and new media in his projects. His current artistic interest is focused mainly on expanding human perceptions and abilities for communication trough the advantages but also disadvantages of new technologies.
Some of his works, research and experiments are based on the visual representation of history and speculative visions for the future.

His artistic projects have been shown in conventional art spaces like ZKM Karlsruhe, ICA London, Chelsea Art Museum, Location One in New York but also in public space in Sofia, Berlin, Manchester, New York.
As a founder and chairman of InterSpace Association since 1998 he has been involved in production and co-production of art events and projects with Bulgarian and international artists and activists.

www.dourmana.com