An inherited world of existential issues coupled with rapid technological change leave implications that are now our generations duty to explore.
Fusing mythology with modernity, the Champagne Glitch group imagines The Pandora Processor, a machine tasked with solving the world's Pandorian problems.
The Pandora Project
2019
Mixed media installation by Champagne Glitch, HillScene Festival
Four artists created a sculptural interpretation of a Pandorian box, representing a complex socio-political issue that the processor unpacks. This prototype assemblage of high and low-tech glitches and disconnects, frantically processing information and sharing glimpses of videos when humans approach. Its chaos mimics the emotional turmoil of engaging with contemporary existential issues that have been opened by our preceding generations.
An inherited world of existential issues coupled with rapid technological change leave implications that are now our generations duty to explore. Although the myth of Pandora's box warns us against the danger of curiosity, we must continue to seek new knowledge and engage with the complexity of the world around us to find sense within chaos. There is no alternative.
Jess Coldrey's abstract sculpture contrasts a velvety pink cushion with crumbled building material. The linked video works explore disaster disparity through a split-screen of rose-tinted luxury worlds and scenes of poverty and large-scale destruction. These videos are displayed as if thoughts flickering through the processor as it makes calculations in an attempt to understand the conditions that lead to environmental inequality.
This project was generously supported by Yarra Ranges
Council and HillScene Live Festival
The Pandora Project was awarded the Yarra Ranges Vibrant and Connected Communities Grant in 2019. The Champagne Glitch artists included Jess Coldrey, Artily, Daisy Mak and Holy Godfrey. Photography and videography courtesy of Aaron Mak.