Exploring the wider effects of over-consumption, media stimulation and emotional disconnection, the artworks presented in the 2018 edition of the Aesthetica Art Prize Exhibition (18 May – 30 September, York Art Gallery) call into question new modes of communication, offering reflection upon the era of post-truth, where human autonomy can be reduced to calculable, predictable patterns of behaviour.
The shortlisted artists for 2018 include: David Birkin (USA); Electra Lyhne-Gold (UK); Fabio Lattanzi Antinori (UK); Jiayu Liu (UK); Jukhee Kwon (Italy); Kenji Ouellet (Germany); Laura Woodward (Australia); Lisa Chang Lee (UK); Noémi Varga (UK); Peter Davis (UK); Reginald Van de Velde (Belgium); Shauna Frischkorn (USA).
A key concept in this year's shortlisted works is technology; Jiayu Liu's Ocean Wave questions how far digital worlds are encroaching upon organic landscapes. With environmental damage happening at an unprecedented rate, and global warming showing no signs of ending, Liu's work invites audiences to reflect upon our role as human beings and our emotional responses to the planet. Following the same theme is Lisa Chang Lee's responsive installation Laughter Project exaggerates and copies audiences' reactions to reflect upon the overwhelming desire to belong in today's society.
Considering the notion of human autonomy is Fabio Lattanzi Antinori's Fortune Tellers, an interactive sculpture that charts 10 years of data from the Shanghai Stock Exchange. The piece considers how global financial systems control much of our lives. Similarly, Electra Lyhne-Gold's Lost in Translation is a video performance that utilises humour to usurp capitalism, undermining advertisement culture through mimicry and imitation.
Running concurrently with the opening of the exhibition is the Future Now Symposium (17-18 May, York St John University), a dynamic two-day event that provides an imaginative platform for attendees to consider the arts ecosystem within a broader social, political and professional context. Holding talent development at its core, this two-day event is a hive of innovation and idea generation. Symposium passes provide a free ticket into the Private View for the Aesthetica Art Prize, 17 May at York Art Gallery.
A range of delegates from the UK's leading arts organisations are in attendance including Tate, V&A, Frieze, BALTIC, Open Eye Gallery, PHOTOFAIRS, Royal College of Art, Serpentine, Thames & Hudson and The Times.
Click here to visit the Aesthetica Art Prize 2018 website.