Galerie Ron Mandos is exhibiting 2°C above acCLI-M8 X, a solo show by Konrad Wyrebek curated by Domenico de Chirico. Wyrebek addresses the issue of Climate Change / Global Warming in close interrelation with the noisy global information system, by aesthetically investigating its consequences, causes, influences and the changes it generates.The exhibition title is a cryptic descriptive pun - in itself corrupted - containing the words 2°C (the average projected rise of temper- atures on earth and the line that scientist fear we will cross), the word “acclimate”, the word “climate”, the word “mate” = M8, as an average person in our society (maybe not so well informed or bothered about the environment and global issues but more fo- cused on they own playground and day to day reality) and the word “climax”.

GLOBAL INFORMATION SYSTEM

The amount of information we are exposed to on a daily basis, can be interrupted, transformed and even corrupted; which also rais- es the question as to how far is humanity already in the trajectory towards melding into the digital world - and its ever faster rate of information spreading scope. A trajectory that will eventually lead to assimilate the human mind and body to the “machine”. On the one hand a big part of both traditional and new - digital - media, aren’t but just drops in the ocean of the day-to-day news feeds of the wider audiences. For the more attentive though - they look more like a flood. It should also be considered that the same me- dia are businesses with their own set of interests and commercial objectives; and the latter can account for a lot in the general line of their informative output. The actual outcome is a wide and subtle system made up largely of manipulation and noise. On the other hand disinformation causes the spread of deliber- ately false and distorted news to cover for inconvenient truths; that is precisely the tool used by power to exert control over peo- ple, by diverting their attention towards trivial topics or purposely orchestrated situations. Powerful state apparatuses regularly co- ordinate the spreading of false news and misleading information in order to support the establishment. In the meantime, the general public is kept stocked on TV sports channels or mushy soap operas. Their attention controlled via the lowest forms of entertainment and through the creation of pre- carious socio-economic conditions which force individuals to be mostly concerned with how to make ends meet, thus being oblivi- ous towards broader themes - i.e. politics, corruption and environ- mental issues. For this reason, the most pressing need is presently that of educating people on how to attend to their own awareness and information.

CLIMATE CHANGE

On the global warming front, we’ve reached an alarming climate change milestone. The message is clear: global warming is no lon- ger a future threat but a present reality - and a menacing one for our present civilizations.In addition, the world’s appearance is constantly shifting and mu- tating. With the concepts of environment and landscape increas- ingly tending to overlap, they’ve both become subject to similar consequences deriving from human actions. Threading through a flowing succession of upcoming pixelated images, the show advocates for the chorus of a great part of the scientific community who believes that without further commit- ment and action to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, the world will have to face a series of changes potentially disruptive for the Earth’s ecosystem and its people. Climate change has thusly be- come an ethical issue, mainly because those who are and will be most negatively affected by it are those who are least accountable for having caused the problem. 

Curated by Domenico de Chirico.

Konrad Wyrebek - 2°C above acCLI-­‐M8 X
Ron Mandos, April 9 - May 14
www.ronmandos.nl