2024

Cyber Struc­tures: Mate­r­i­al Real­i­ties – Dig­i­tal Expe­ri­ences
18.05 – 06.10.2024

Inter­ac­tions with the dig­i­tal sphere have become part of our dai­ly lives, and they are almost exclu­sive­ly wire­less. The Inter­net and the Cloud are acces­si­ble at the click of a but­ton and at any time, like invis­i­ble, vaporous objects. But these ser­vices are based on a colos­sal infra­struc­ture that sprawls across the planet.

Data cen­tres, under­ground cables, inter­con­ti­nen­tal sub­ma­rine cables, anten­nas and satel­lites make up this decen­tralised and inter­con­nect­ed infra­struc­ture, which func­tions like a net­work of net­works. Para­dox­i­cal­ly, its omnipres­ence in our lives often makes us for­get the eco­log­i­cal, polit­i­cal, cul­tur­al, and social issues linked to its deploy­ment and use.

In 2024 Elek­tron explores this para­dox through sev­en art­works pre­sent­ed as part of an urban itin­er­ary. Link­ing key loca­tions in the town cen­tre of Esch-sur-Alzette, Cyber Struc­tures: Mate­r­i­al Real­i­ties – Dig­i­tal Expe­ri­ences pro­vides an oppor­tu­ni­ty to dis­cov­er and bet­ter under­stand the eco­log­i­cal, polit­i­cal, and social impli­ca­tions of this infra­struc­ture through art.

Pre­sent­ed in both indoor and out­door spaces, the instal­la­tions address key issues such as: How does the artis­tic use of tech­nol­o­gy allow us to see the impact of human activ­i­ties on the plan­et in a new and dis­rup­tive way? What forms do sur­veil­lance and dig­i­tal colo­nial­ism take around the world? How do the Inter­net and social net­works con­tribute to the cre­ation of com­mu­ni­ties and a col­lec­tive visu­al mem­o­ry? 

These ques­tions are addressed in the instal­la­tions across town. They are explored in greater depth and linked to the spe­cif­ic con­text of Esch-sur-Alzette and the Greater Region through meet­ings and work­shops with Lux­em­bour­gish and inter­na­tion­al experts. This rich pub­lic pro­gramme reflects Elek­tron’s ambi­tion to become the ref­er­ence plat­form for art, dig­i­tal tech­nol­o­gy, sci­ence and social issues in the Greater Region.

Curators: Vincent Crapon & Françoise Poos

In col­lab­o­ra­tion with Esch Cap­i­tale Cul­turelle, Kon­schthal Esch, Brid­der­haus, Cul­tures of Assem­bly, Uni­ver­sité du Lux­em­bourg, Spek­trum, the CLAIRE pro­gramme at Ville d’Esch-sur-Alzette, Bijouterie Hirsch as well as the co-own­er’s asso­ci­a­tion of Centre Mercure.