The theme of this year's annual exhibition of the Master's program in "Digital Arts" at NHA revolves around the concept of technical obsolescence. The material existence of technological objects is short-lived. Technological ephemera leaves traces in both city dumps and galleries. Technological optimism, progressivism, digital euphoria, technomania, and techno-utopias stimulate production processes, with planned obsolescence playing a significant role in them.
Obsolete devices offer rich aesthetic and meaningful possibilities for departing from the default world. The participating artists adopt diverse approaches, expressing their imaginative interpretations of this theme—some purposefully and others indirectly.
Students, whose artistic practices are reliant on technology, possess the capacity to
articulate their individual perspectives while also constructing a comprehensive understanding of the processes surrounding them.
Observing the obsolete can stem from curiosity or nostalgia. In rejuvenating the outdated device we might seek a social impact. Moral aging comes hand in hand with the urge to adapt. An update is a mutation, while a bug becomes an opportunity for amusement. Somewhere there stands each one of us, no less vulnerable.
Students articulate their artistic perspectives through a diverse range of mediums, including video art, interactive installations, performances, digital printing, 2D and 3D digital prototyping, electronics, programming, biotechnology, and post-digital practices.
The exhibition showcases the graduation theses of Anna Bocheva, Gergana Lazarova-Runkle, Daniela Nikolchova, Pepa Pariseva, Yana Vasileva, Mia Momchilova, Ivan Abadjiev, Ugur Tahir. Additionally, it features works of first-year students Alexandra Kabatliyska, Victoria Tsvetanova, Mario Stoinov, Nikolay Mitev, Hristina Popova.