Self-Representation as Curatorial Practice
OnCurating Academy x HEK Basel
April 4 – May 30, 2025 --- 24x7 live online platform of HEK, Basel
In the digital age, the self becomes a curatorial practice: we stage, edit, and present our identities, shaping avatars, social media profiles, and digital personas. Whether in virtual spaces or social networks, our self-images are constantly evolving, influenced by platform logic, algorithms, and societal expectations.
The exhibition ATTENTION IS ALL I NEED explores how digital self-representation transforms into an artistic practice. A diverse group of media artists examines the tension between individual autonomy and algorithmic control: What freedoms does the digital self offer? What constraints arise from the mechanics of visibility? Through a fusion of deepfakes, 3D avatars, and social media performances, the exhibition investigates how technology shapes identity—oscillating between playful reinvention and capitalist determinism.
Moving beyond a purely narcissistic perspective, the exhibition shifts focus to global contexts. Self-representation is always both social and political: it crosses cultural boundaries and redefines gender, origin, and belonging. ATTENTION IS ALL I NEED brings together a diverse group of participants from the OnCurating Academy and international media artists to reflect on how digital identity can become a form of participation and resistance.
Artists: allapopp, Carla Streckwall, Charmaine Poh, Damjanski, Kim Albrecht, Orhun Mersin aka kekik
Common.Garden Design: Yun Kuo
Curated by: Jonny-Bix Bongers
OnCurating Academy Project Lead: Dorothee Richter
Contributions and Collaborations: Carlos Moore, Christopher Goscomb, Dan Kanin, Evgeniia Skvortsova, Leonie Rinze, Leo Kerrigan, Martina Menegon, Maya Malik, Miguel ‘EdKe’ Keerveld, Quinnie Tan