Exhibition
Published 5. 9. 2023
Pavel Kuja: The Nameless One
opening 12/9 from 7PM
* Galerie NIKA is open 24/7 → metro B, Karlovo náměstí, entrance through Palackého náměstí *
The exhibition The Nameless One explores virtual worlds and the ways in which humans relate to the identity and death of their video game avatars. Through an installation reminiscent of a triptych altar, Pavel Kuja describes his early experiences with dying in the digital environment and reflects on the contemporary perception of the impermanence of life. The normalization of digital death has brought it into the everyday, numbing the player* to its impact - the author thus questions how dying in video games reflects our view of human mortality.
The space of the NIKA Gallery is transformed into a multi-layered universe working with video game elements and with the mirroring of the virtual and "physical" worlds, whose boundaries today are often blurred.
The infinity of places we can visit in the digital realms represent an infinity of identities and an infinity of experiences - but only some of them have lasting significance in the gaming world. Others we just wave our hands and keep playing. Are there moments in virtual worlds that have a deeper impact on our lives and the world "out there"?
The ability to control the identity and actions of an avatar brings us freedom, proof of *its* existence, but they also remind us of our own materiality. What does the disappearance of this existence mean? Is any identity we choose a positive complement to our own - the one that inhabits the physical world? And what are the ethical issues involved in identity politics in the video game industry?
Curated by Agáta Hošnová & Karolína Voleská
Graphic designer: Pavel Kuja