Beyond the Aesthetics of Collapse: Artistic Practices in Times of Emergency

How is today’s systemic crisis perceived, and what role do algorithmically generated images and the culture of immediacy play in shaping that perception? Considering the technological surveillance of nature, the degradation of computational models, and the depletion of natural resources, it becomes evident that contemporary media are deeply implicated in the very crises they attempt to communicate. Drawing on recent artistic and curatorial projects, this talk examines how and when contemporary art moves beyond the mere representation or aestheticization of catastrophe. At the same time, it explores the role of mediation, critical reflection, and the recognition of complexity in understanding systemic collapse. The lecture approaches artistic and curatorial practices as affective infrastructures through which the future may be renegotiated.

Daphne Dragona is a curator, theorist, and writer. Her exhibitions have been hosted at the real or virtual premises of Onassis Stegi, LABoral, Aksioma, EMST (National Museum of Contemporary Art, Athens), Akademie Schloss Solitude and other institutions. She was curator for transmediale festival (Berlin, 2015–2019) and EMAF – European Media Art Festival (Osnabrück, 2021–2023). Her writings have been published by Springerin, Sternberg Press, Diaphanes, and Leonardo Electronic Almanac, among others. She teaches Theory of Curatorial Practices and Exhibition Design at the Department of Audiovisual Arts, Ionian University. She holds a PhD from the Faculty of Communication & Media Studies at the University of Athens. She is currently a fellow at the Weibel Institute for Digital Cultures of the University of Applied Arts in Vienna.

Website by Daphne Dragona