Deus ex Poiesis: A Manifesto for the End of the World and the Future of Art and Technology
Hart February 22, 2023 Edward A. Shanken
The essay proposes the concept of deus ex poiesis, drawing on the Greek theatrical device of deus ex machina and Heidegger's notion of poiesis as a liberating force from technological enframing, as a model for addressing the challenges of the anthropocene. It discusses two aesthetic approaches: digital artworks engaged in (h)activism through tactical media, and artworks that explore ways of knowing outside rational scientific models, including hybrid perception and expanded states of consciousness. Artists considered include Electronic Disturbance Theater, rTMark, Julian Oliver and Danja Vasiliev, Roy Ascott, Pauline Oliveros, and Kim Jeong-Han.