The Serpentine Galleries presents Power Plants, a new exhibition by Hito Steyerl, German filmmaker, visual artist, writer and innovator of the essay documentary.
Hito Steyerl is an artist and filmmaker whose work explores the complexities of the digital world, art, capitalism, and the implications of Artificial Intelligence for society. Her recent artworks cover subjects as diverse as video games, surveillance and art production.
Steyerl’s new project for the Serpentine Galleries considers power and inequality in society, mapping unequal wealth distribution in the communities surrounding the Serpentine which has been recorded as one of the most socially uneven areas in Europe. Drawing on topics such as media, technology and the global circulation of images, Steyerl sharpens the viewer’s perception through moving-image works that combine filmed and digitally animated footage. The video images of plants are generated by neural networks that predict the future creating a series of digital video sculptures that literally look into the future.
Visitors to the exhibition will experience an augmented reality app called Actual RealityOS, which is designed to expand our social vision of some local communities to reveal what Steyerl calls ‘Actual Reality’. Furthermore, a series of guided neighbourhood Power Walks will take place throughout Spring 2019, created in conversation with local residents and community groups. Influenced by the Situationists’ dérive, the Power Walks will bring the data in the app to life, highlighting issues around social housing, low wage work and the accessibility of the city. Each walk tells a story of the hidden and not so hidden inequalities from the point of view of those most affected.
The Goethe-Institut London is delighted to have supported the production of the Digital Commission Actual RealityOS.
