Hito Steyerl at Serpentine Galleries: AR, Power Plants, and Sackler Controversy
On April 11, 2019, Hito Steyerl (b. 1966) unveiled "Power Plants" at the Serpentine Galleries in London. This exhibition incorporates an augmented reality app, performative walks, and fresh artworks, focusing on the concept of power—whether electrical, natural, or authoritative—as vital for digital technology. It features six video sculptures showcasing AI-generated representations of futuristic plants inspired by real-life flora, accompanied by fictional narratives accessed through AR tablets and the app. "Power Walks" offers three guided tours addressing inequality, led by community organizations like Architects for Social Housing. Additionally, the Actual RealityOS app reveals concealed data regarding well-being and social inequities. Steyerl also condemned the Sackler family's involvement in the opioid crisis, calling for the Serpentine to reject their funding. The exhibition is open until May 6, 2019.
Key facts
- Hito Steyerl's project 'Power Plants' opened April 11, 2019 at Serpentine Galleries, London.
- The project includes an AR app, three performative walks, and an exhibition with video sculptures.
- Six video sculptures use neural networks to generate images of futuristic plants.
- AR app overlays images with fictional descriptions and citations.
- 'Power Walks' are guided tours focused on inequality, inspired by Situationist dérive and Freinet's pedagogy.
- Community partners: Architects for Social Housing, Disabled People Against Cuts, The Voice of Domestic Workers, Constantine Gras.
- Actual RealityOS app visualizes hidden data on well-being, income, and social disparities.
- Steyerl criticized the Serpentine Sackler Gallery's naming, citing Sackler family's role in opioid crisis (over 200,000 deaths since 1999).
- Serpentine stated future Sackler donations will not be accepted.
- Exhibition runs until May 6, 2019.
Entities
Artists
- Hito Steyerl
- Nan Goldin
Institutions
- Serpentine Galleries
- Serpentine Sackler Gallery
- Andrew Kreps Gallery
- Esther Schipper Gallery
- Purdue Pharma
- National Portrait Gallery
- Guggenheim
- Tate
- Architects for Social Housing
- Disabled People Against Cuts
- The Voice of Domestic Workers
- Constantine Gras
Locations
- London
- United Kingdom
- New York
- Berlin
- United States