With its cult of corruption, squealing media hysteria, myopic surveillance and the ripe stench of political totalitarianism, dystopia has arrived, the flailing prelude to an apocalyptic oblivion.
Long a sci-fi darling, dressed up in a dread and brooding oppression, dystopia has always fed our collective imagination. But that brave new world is no longer a future projection. It is reality.
It’s a story of them and us, of controlling regimes and manipulated masses, cultural blueprints that clank with chains of sobriety. Their vision for society’s dank mediocrity is stage-managed by the strobing blink of a thousand neon yells; countless updates mould a perilous landscape in data-mapping madness, and the cult of celebrity shames our selfie-esteem with its virulent narcissism.
Art, installation, live music and a general sense of disquiet, Dystopia at Tortuga Studios (Friday August 19th, 6-9pm) promises to be a long-overdue commentary on oppression and rank hypocrisy, laced with salacious indecency and crochet. Featuring the work of the following artists (in no particular order):
Garth Knight
Francesca D’Amico
Rachael Lafferty
Simon Scheuerle
E.L.K.
Ramie Moussa
Terry Archer
Swerve Harris
Valentina Schulte
Mark Swartz
Alex Holver
Chris Lego
Camo
Rogue Simian
Pirate Photography
Dillon MacEwan
Alien Proof Construction
Daniel Cozens
Jasmine Poole
Jo Shand
Ben Tankard
Christie Torrington
Gab Bates
Alice de Groot
Justin Harvey
LuLu C Smith
AWOL monk @BAA TV
Bunkwaa
Pete Strong
Chaz Glover
Dan Nimmo
Gemma Lark
Isaac Gallagher
Harriet McKern
Alexandra Lou
Brian Paisley
Ganbold Gawaa Lundaa
Onur Ka
Rolfe Knudsen
Ellen Hewitt
Denis Mizzi
Jaybe CS
Rolfe Knudsen
Nikko is Rad
Lacie Malice
Opening night: August 19th, 6-9pm
Exhibition runs August 20th-August 26th, by appointment