About exhibition
Curated by Fabrizio Lamoncha, the exhibition "Rare Earths" brings together works by international artists and researchers who, from various perspectives, examine what lies behind the technological systems and infrastructures shaping contemporary life. The participating artists are Kate Crawford and Vladan Joler, Thomas Thwaites, Volkan Dinçer, the Total Refusal collective, Victoria Vesna, and the JKU Soft Matter Physics collective.
The exhibition’s title refers to the 17 chemical elements that play a crucial role in the production of modern technological devices and infrastructures. Behind the screens, batteries, computers, and other technologies we use daily lie complex systems of extraction, labor, energy, and global distribution. Through diverse artistic and research-based approaches, the exhibition raises questions regarding the relationship between technology and nature, resource extraction, labor and energy, and the future of the planet.
The exhibition is part of the fourth edition of the Belgrade Art Meets Science festival. The festival is an interdisciplinary program connecting art, science, technology, and contemporary society. This year’s edition addresses questions underlying the technological world we use every day: where do the materials for our technologies come from? Who and what pays the price for their extraction? What traces do they leave on nature, and how does technology alter our relationship with matter, life, and the planet?
From rare earth elements and mining—through biology and energy—to artificial intelligence and the invisible infrastructures supporting the modern digital world, this year’s program explores the material, environmental, and social consequences of technological development. Like previous editions of the festival, this one is organized by Re:People – Center for Society and Technology.
The exhibition runs until October 31.
ACCOMPANYING PROGRAM
October 2 at 7 PM
Artget Gallery
Lecture by Jens Hauser titled "Active Elements: From Materiality to Micro-performativity." Jens Hauser is a curator, researcher, and author exploring the relationships between art, science, technology, biology, and materiality.
October 3 at 7 PM
DOTS Gallery
Lecture by Victoria Vesna – artist, professor at the UCLA Department of Design Media Arts, and director of the Art|Sci Center
Vesna will present her long-standing artistic practice situated at the intersection of art, science, technology, and ecology, with a particular focus on the work *[Alien] Star Dust – Meditations*.
Her work connects cosmic matter, pollution, and human impact on the planet, opening up a space to reflect on the relationship between the micro and macro levels—from the particles that make up our world to the broader ecological and cosmic systems to which we belong.