Can we tell reality from simulation in the 21st century? Perhaps, virtual reproduction of reality is a new stage of humanity’s natural development. Our life garden is being absorbed by simulation, and people – trees – are merely a projection. We are able to test this theory and find out how well we know our reality through the Life in Simulation project as part of the Second Bienniale of Young Art that takes place in Kharkiv.
Artist Volodymyr Kogut offers to learn about your sense of reality interactively, by pressing a button. Paired images appear on a screen, with videos of real as well as nonexistent nature, the latter created with 3D graphics. Simulated plants are not an imitation of real ones. They are random creations that seem natural because they mimic the principles that we visually perceive as characteristic properties of nature. You can see how successful you were at detecting the “fakes” by consulting a printout with answers.
The project was created with the technical assistance of Google Earth Engine (California, USA) and Google Maps, which provided data from NASA's Landsat 8 satellite and USDA Farm Service Agency.
ILF has also been involved in this project. We believe that such events are an important reminder that the world is changing, and that when adapting to it, people often lose their sense of reality, of true values.
“And without values, it is difficult to build something long-term and useful not just to individuals, but to society as a whole. Our company is changing from the inside by using the NewLaw strategy. It’s becoming more understandable, more attuned to the clients and concerns. Working on creative economy projects helps us realize that art events like those presented at the Biennale allow us to create a kind of platform for finding answers, consolidation and cooperation. It simultaneously stimulates economic growth of a particular region as well as fills everyday life with new meaning, helping society decide whether it’s comfortable with its current situation,” says ILF senior lawyer and innovation manager Arsen Buchkovsky.
The Life in Simulation project is presented at the Second Bienniale of Young Art held in Kharkiv until October 31, 2019. Over 60 cultural, social, research and business institutions as well as donor organizations have been involved in this important art event of this fall. ILF is the event’s legal partner.
