exhibition

04/04/2025

HeK (House of electronic Arts Basel) Virtual

In collaboration with Artists: allapopp, Carla Streckwall, Charmaine Poh, Damjanski, Kim Albrecht, Orhun Mersin aka kekik || Curators: Jonny-Bix Bongers || In cooperation: ONCURATING Academy

ATTENTION IS ALL I NEED

In the digital age, the self becomes a curatorial practice: we stage, edit, and present our identities, shaping avatars, social media profiles, and digital personas. Whether in virtual spaces or social networks, our self-images are constantly evolving, influenced by platform logic, algorithms, and societal expectations.

The exhibition ATTENTION IS ALL I NEED explores how digital self-representation transforms into an artistic practice. A diverse group of media artists examines the tension between individual autonomy and algorithmic control: What freedoms does the digital self offer? What constraints arise from the mechanics of visibility? Through a fusion of deepfakes, 3D avatars, and social media performances, the exhibition investigates how technology shapes identity—oscillating between playful reinvention and capitalist determinism.

Moving beyond a purely narcissistic perspective, the exhibition shifts focus to global contexts. Self-representation is always both social and political: it crosses cultural boundaries and redefines gender, origin, and belonging. ATTENTION IS ALL I NEED brings together a diverse group of participants from the OnCurating Academy and international media artists to reflect on how digital identity can become a form of participation and resistance.