16 apr 2022
SETUP together with de Transmissie and Rodrigo Ferreira present: The Silicon Passion
Frank-Jan van Lunteren
Gone are the days when big tech could do whatever they want; democracy disrupting, data-trading and bubble-creating reckless behavior. But actual regret and change don’t seem to happen. In The Silicon Passion SETUP, in collaboration with de Transmissie (David Schwarz en Derk Stenvers) and Rodrigo Ferreira, is looking for a way out of the pit that technology has created for them. They draw inspiration from one of the most important stories about penance: the crucifixion. Taking the St Matthew Passion as a starting point, both for the valuable lessons as well as musical inspiration, they want to find out exactly who or what should be nailed to the cross, and what the world might look like after a resurrection.
Living with big tech
Big tech is everywhere; in our computers, smartphones, smartwatches. Everyone eagerly takes advantage, sharing personal data to gain the most user-friendly app, device and ultimately life. The privacy that’s lost we take for granted, or we might think it's beyond our control anyway. Meanwhile, big tech is causing disrupted democracies and an enormous growth of mental problems due to social media use. In short, big tech is bad, and we are the victims. Or could it be far more complex than that? The Silicon Passion offers a much-needed counterpoint. Let’s shed our victimhood and together explore a new relationship with big tech.
Special collaboration
SETUP (Utrecht) is a media lab exploring the day-to-day future of technology. Using a critical yet humorous perspective, SETUP translates complex themes into more tangible ideas for everyone. In 2021, SETUP asked several artists to offer new perspectives on penance and forgiveness for big tech, using the St Matthew Passion. A composed group consisting of multidisciplinary theater collective de Transmissie and musician Rodrigo Ferreira came to a stunning result, with live performances from Theater Kikker and Pakhuis de Zwijger in April 2021. The new performance in 2022 is a next step in this research.
