The ‘Hope in an Age of Dystopia’ exhibition opening from May 16th until August 15th offers a glimpse into the recent acquisitions of the Dalloul Art Foundation, showcasing artworks that navigate the balance between despair and hope. While many pieces are visually vibrant, their themes often delve into bleak realities, critiquing societal issues with sharp wit or inviting playful engagement. Despite portraying a dystopian world marked by various systems of control, the underlying motive, as common in dystopian genres, is not despair but the imagination of alternative paths towards a brighter future.
Dystopia, an imagined world typically set in the future, depicts societies plagued by injustice or oppression. Literary classics like George Orwell’s ‘1984’ and Aldous Huxley’s ‘Brave New World’ explore themes of authoritarian governance and technological control, reflecting historical anxieties and uncertainties.
The exhibition delves into multiple power domains prevalent in today’s world, from global capitalist economies and environmental degradation to tech industries and surveillance apparatuses. These domains shape people’s daily lives, perpetuating labour exploitation and resource extraction in service of advanced economies and imperialist interests.
As described by Marxist economist Ernest Mandel, late capitalism signifies the economic expansion post-World War II, characterised by multinational corporations’ emergence and global capital circulation. The neoliberal turn of the 1970s and 80s furthered economic deregulation, privatization, and the dominance of market transactions, exacerbating global inequalities.
The rise of surveillance technologies and the cultural logic of late capitalism reshaped governance, prioritizing private interests over citizen rights and perpetuating geopolitical power through surveillance. This era birthed a consumerist culture and a postmodern aesthetic, marked by aggressive advertising and a relentless pursuit of consumption.
Despite the bleak portrayal of dystopian realities, hope emerges from the shadows, often intertwined with the severity of the projected dystopia. Artworks in the exhibition tackle various themes, from surveillance systems in occupied territories to the erosion of legislative bodies’ efficacy. Some pieces draw from forgotten pasts, reimagining traditional patterns to signify loss and transformation.
Others intertwine intimacy and ruin, inviting viewers to engage in acts of destruction through delicate embroidery. Despite the dystopian themes, each artwork resonates with a sense of diffident hope, teetering on the edge of despair yet defiant in its manifestation. Through critical irreverence and bold expression, the exhibition invites viewers to imagine different modes of resistance, emphasising the importance of intimacy, connection, and communication in realising hopeful futures.
Location: Dalloul Art Foundation
Dates: May 16th – August 15th, 2024