Manege first incorporated the square by its western facade as exhibition space in 2016. Now, it is continuing to explore the theme of art in the outdoor urban environment. From 19 July, the space will be used for a large-scale installation by Russian art collective Recycle Group which will focus on the themes of malfunctioning machines and systems failure. This collaboration forms part of preparations for an upcoming exhibition dedicated to Recycle Group at Manege.
Recycle Group’s project You Have Reached Your Destination consists of two parts – physical and virtual. It explores the boundaries of confrontation between human and artificial intelligence.
For almost two months, the square by Manege’s western facade will be transformed into a chaotic city car park, with vehicles standing in gridlock, flouting road markings, blocking one another, and making it impossible to leave. The parking scheme is determined by a protocol which is both inconvenient and counterintuitive to humans. It is brought on by a blind adherence to GPS, which either issues an error, or is guided by its own logic which cannot be comprehended by the human mind.
The virtual part of the project consists of a mirror image of the square in the sky, where the cars have assumed control of their movements. This reflection can be viewed through an AR app created by Recycle Group. As the viewer witnesses the scene unfold, the artists pose the question: is chaos the result of error, or is it a conspiracy developed by artificial intelligence?
Bookshop: 12:00-20:45
Manege Café: 12:00-20:30
RECYCLE GROUP. YOU HAVE REACHED YOUR DESTINATION
19 July 2019 — 1 September 2019
Recycle Group
Recycle Group was founded in 2006. Its members regularly participate in Russian and international modern art exhibitions, with their work frequently appearing in France, Italy, the UK, US and Belgium. Andrey Blokhin and Georgy Kuznetsov also had their work featured at the Venice Biennale in 2011 and 2013. The group is notable for its irony and unusual approach to the concept of modernity, combining classical themes with unconventional materials, such as polyurethane, silicone and plastic. Their work can be seen at numerous public and private collections, including Glasstress in Venice, the Royal Museum of Scotland, МАММ, and others. Over the last few years, Recycle Group has conducted an artistic study on the differences between human and artificial intelligence.