2024-04-16
Last weekend, the Ethos gallery in Warsaw was transformed into the Psychasec pavilion, where visitors could see the latest collection of "human shells" - lifeless bodies that guarantee immortality.
Sound like a sci-fi film script? Because in reality, it is. Psychasec is part of the Altered Carbon universe - a new Netflix production. Altered Carbon is a crime series that allows us to immerse ourselves in a future world where human consciousness can be downloaded and stored in the form of a miniature chip (known as a cortical stack), which is then transferred into various artificial bodies. The organic "shells" produced by Psychasec provide "graceful" promotional material. The company's pavilion is part of a worldwide marketing strategy, which this time found its place in an art gallery.
Galeria Ethos is a new art space located on Pl. Trzech Krzyży, which mainly presents works in photography, painting or sculpture. Last weekend, it combined the functions of showroom, theatre, cinema and gallery. By encouraging visitors to buy one of the 'human shells', organizing a choreographic performance with dancers playing the role of these artificial doubles, the presentation of the first two episodes of the series and futuristic decorations, Ethos was transformed into a modern advertising space in which dramatization plays a key role. This simulation of a real corporate pavilion applies elements characteristic of art exhibitions, while at the same time resembling the stands that are prepared for business fairs.
The Altered Carbon pavilion, organized in a gallery space in a prestigious part of the city, raises the issue of the intermingling of separate disciplines, including art and advertising, and their mutual use of similar tricks, strategies and ideas to attract viewers. Interestingly, a similar show was organized during CES (The Global Stage for Innovation) in Las Vegas - an international gathering focused on showcasing new technologies.
Photography: Milena Soporowska