Karol Komorowski: Post-humanism is already here

Karol Komorowski is one of the 8 European artists presented in the international art exhibition project Contain[era]. His exhibition has arrived to Prague and will travel in the upcoming weeks along the route through Slovakia, Hungary, Austria, Italy, Switzerland and Germany.
It consists of large scale photographic works; their panoramic format and overall poetics connotes with the popular genre of cityscapes. By means of its subject-matter - the computer hardware - the works will reflect with a more physical approach on today’s technology-driven society.
While the discourse on the post-Internet condition gained speed, it is now important to look at what happens before the computer screen fills a lonely net-flaneur’s room with its cold, synthetic light. Computer hardware being both hidden and sacred, became a void place seamlessly obscured by the apparent dominance of displays, and therefore images, a domain of experts, a body neglected in the praise of intellect - in this case the software underlying all the processes taking place anywhere in the world. However, hardware in a very literal sense, has its inner logic expressed by its uber-complex architecture and at the same time represents consistent aesthetic qualities. But how to relate these seemingly distant, micro-cityscapes to our city-centric culture? And is it the nature of data processing itself that makes everything so compatible and universal or the very information? We have an interview for you.

How do you understand the term " post-internet " age? Do you feel you live in one? How does it affect you? 
Post-internet is when the Internet ceases to be lived as an escapist alternative and instead becomes a place from which you'd rather want to escape but you cannot.

Your installation within the project has something to do with artificial intelligence. It is a common anti utopian sci fi lite - motive, how do you refer to it in your work?
For the audio installation accompanying my exhibition, I've connected two bots and let them talk to each other. I'm celebrating the awkwardness of their conversation and the imperfection of their algorithms. I guess it's not gonna be so funny soon concerning how big money are now invested in the corporate development of AI.

Are you scared of technologies or are they your friends?
Technology has always been our friend, the one we feared most.

What are your "sci-fi" predictions in a long term? 
Post-humanism is already here.

What about your roots, your heritage? 
I'm a child of the Internet. 

Do you feel that Polish art scene affects you, or you consider yourself more to be an international level artists.
Polish art scene is so diverse it's difficult to define it. A lot of my artists-friends are working with similar subject-matter as I am and it's rather motivating.

Do you feel there are still borders between different art scenes from different countries? 
There are of course the borders set by various communities but when you stop considering people, every art is internet art and so the borders dissolve. 

What do you consider the most interesting about the project Containera, why did you decide to be involved in it? 
The most interesting thing about the Contain[era] project is the ambition to make physical connections between the European capitals. The condition of unity is not so obvious and it's worth to experiment with that.
 
More info about Contain[era] to be found on the project's Facebook page or on the official website. Stay tuned for profiles of other artists from the exhibition circle.