Past: Ed Atkins

"Historically, it was the art that owned the technologies of realism. (Using it the Western church controlled the Real with the power to realize ornate heavens.) Now the technologies of realism have been taken over by corporations, dollars, industry. At some point the photographic became the highest form of realism - a painting indistinguishable from photography was the “most realistic” painting. ... Artists were supplanted to a realism become sales pitch of megapixels, framerate, ever wilder and increasing definitions, measuring “better” photos, “quality” of video, controlled by big budgets. The real came to no longer mimic what we saw but a detail more magnificent than your eye, detailing into a new fantastical real. Too real for reality. A night sky converted to information, output through processors, telescopes no one looked through anymore. That are said to see. The soft disavowal of ourselves..."

Full: Ed Atkins