Medium Religion exhibition

Peter Weibel and Boris Groys have mounted a timely exhibition on the theme of contemporary religious iconography in art and cultural production within a context of digital media and technology. The sprawling exhibition focuses on works broaching Buddhism, Christianity Hinduism, Islam and Judeism. The main focus is apparently Juseism and Christianity with rather underrepresented and disappointing positions  concerning Hinduism and Islam in contempoary art.

Nonetheless, the theorical insights noted by Groys concerning digital culture and techno-spirituality are facsinating. He points out:

• A digital image is essentially invisible. As code, it may be 'brought to life' on the screen, or 'resurrected' by repetition on other computer screens.
  
• Digital culture is based on its ability to exactly reproduction, like century old spiritual ritual is, thus equating technological and spiritual systems.
• When Web2.0 users record themselves, each file exists in a digital network that encourages endless repetition, a technological equivalent to eternity. A suicide bomber, he adds, taped himself three times, as he had stuttered and seemed unsure in the first two takes, knowing full well he will have blown himself up (and others unfortunately) before his 'eternal' life, his 'afterlife' virtiually begins online.

The exhibition is at the world's leading art and media center ZKM in Germany and will be on view until mid-April 2009. There is a website.