Mounir Fatmi on Technology, Energy Crisis, and His Latest Show at Piero Atchugarry Gallery

In an interview with Canvas magazine, artist Mounir Fatmi discusses his exhibition 'Whispered Stories of Forgotten Wires' at Piero Atchugarry Gallery, where he incorporates personal diaristic elements for the first time. Fatmi views technology as an extension of the body and a living archive, often using obsolete media like typewriters and VHS tapes sourced from flea markets. His video and sound works, such as the Jameel Prize-winning 'Modern Times, A History of the Machine' (2009), critique the information society. The exhibition also features 'Oil, Oil, Oil, Oil Analytics' (2023), addressing the political exploitation of energy resources and fossil fuel dependence. Fatmi sees the artist's role as prompting reflection on these issues, though he is not optimistic about art's impact. He discusses geometry and Arabic calligraphy as recurring motifs, referencing Spinoza's idea that each thing affirms its own attributes of God. The interview appears in Canvas 110: It's Electrifying.