Drawing inspiration from George Orwell’s book 1984, the exhibition will aim to explore the question of how power can be explored as a future. Orwell’s novel narrates an imagined future in which society was controlled by the government leader known as Big Brother and the Thought Police. While the story was written in 1949, 35 years prior to 1984, the fictitious subject matter of the book was forward-thinking and it has, in many ways, become reality; think of today’s use of surveillance cameras, algorithms and fake news. However, despite the dire tone of the story, notions of love and activism were also present as integral forms of power.

The exhibition “2084” will explore these contrasts and be developed collectively with Catalysti artists through which we discuss, share, read, analyze and think about what power in the future could look like, sound like, and feel like together. Can we think beyond the contemporary forms of power, i.e., institutional power, physical or psychological power, to predict what the future will hold for us?

About the curator

Anne Klontz (USA/Sweden, 1978) is the Head of Exhibitions at Konstfack University of Arts, Crafts and Design in Stockholm, Sweden where she manages the production of the annual degree exhibition. During 2019, she was the Assistant Curator of Momentum10–The Emotional Exhibition in Moss, Norway and was mentioned as one of 19 women defining the Scandinavian art scene. A selection of previous exhibitions she has curated include: “Forms of Seduction” (Stockholm, 2008); “The Quantum Police” (Brussels, London, Stockholm, 2010-2011); and “UnTied Notions” (Stockholm, 2012). Anne Klontz has a dual master’s degree in International Curating Management and Culture and Media Production.