The Eyemyth Festival Is Returning To Mumbai This Weekend With ‘ARTIFICIAL’

A popular tweet from 2016 goes like this: Remember when we used to say "brb" all the time when we were online? We don't say it anymore. We no longer leave. We live here now. Every few months, it returns from the ever-growing ghost of the internet past and makes the rounds online, racking up thousands of likes, reposts, and nostalgic comments. We play it for laughs, often in ironic sincerity. But it's true. The tweet hones in on a fundamental shift in how we live our lives — how digital and perpetually online our lives have become. As the real world around us degrades due to manmade climate change, we turn towards its online simulacra.

The French postmodernist Jean Baudrillard called this 'hyperreality' — a state of society where the distinction between reality and its simulacra is so blurred that simulations of reality, whether through media, virtual environments, or social personas, are perceived as more real than reality itself. In recent years, many contemporary artists have engaged with this concept in their practice. ARTIFICIAL, a collective showcase that explores the philosophical and psychological aspects of our increasingly digital existence, brings together some of these artists at the G5A Warehouse in Mumbai this weekend as part of Eyemyth Festival 2025. The showcase will include an introductory workshop, two interactive installations, and performances that complement and challenge each other.

The showcase begins with Interactive Art Unplugged, a seminar-style workshop for curious minds, offering an introduction to the tools, technologies, and techniques behind developing interactive art installations. The session requires no prior experience or technical skills. The workshop will be led by Dennis Peter, the creative mind behind Non-linear — an art practice dedicated to crafting interactive and immersive installations that blend sound, lighting, visuals, and mechanics. The workshop will be followed by the performance pieces 'HYPERREAL' by Ayahi and 'Digital Existentialism' by YESNOMAYBE.

In HYPERREAL, Ayahi depicts the birth of an abstract intelligence, tracing its evolution from material roots in silicon to full sentience in the digital realm, delving into the philosophical implications of the digital, hyperreal realm, a world without origin and an intelligence without body that has breached into our lives. In contrast, Digital Existentialism turns the lens inward, exploring how human consciousness and identity are reshaped by our ever-evolving digital landscape. An audio-visual performance conceptualised by media artist Akshat Nauriyal, Digital Existentialism interweaves an introspective music performance about the human condition with audio-visual pieces that delve into the philosophical and psychological implications of living in a techno-algorithmic world.

The showcase will also feature the interactive installations 'Charting Nostalgia - The Window' by Alap Parikh and 'Drunk Poet' by Akshat Nauriyal.

As technology becomes more sophisticated and intertwined with human consciousness, we find ourselves at a crucial junction where questions of being, intelligence, and purpose intersect and come in conflict with modern digital realities. Together, these installations and performances initiate a dialogue between artificial and human consciousness, exploring both the emergence of digital sentience and its profound impact on human existence. This dual perspective invites audiences to reflect on the evolving nature of intelligence, consciousness, and meaning in our hyper-connected age.

What: ARTIFICIAL, An Immersive Showcase

Where: G5A warehouse, Mumbai

When: Saturday, April 5, 2025. Workshop begins at 6:00 PM IST and Performances begin at 8:00 PM IST.

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