DOOM SCROLLING AND WEB MEDITATION | NICOLETA MURES
Doom Scrolling and Web Meditation (2024) by Nicoleta Mureș represent the fifth video presented within the program Pattern, the sixth edition of Digital Video Wall (DVW), an annual project curated by Gemma Fantacci and structured in thematic chapters, aimed at promoting the dissemination and experimentation of digital art.
Doom Scrolling, as also Web Meditation, encapsulates the relentless pursuit of digital consumption amidst a sea of options, as a virtual doorway, it reflects humanity’s yearning for immediacy and serendipity. Its simple invitation carries weight: the willingness to cede control, trust algorithms, and embrace the possibility of unexpected discovery with a single click. As users, we find ourselves endlessly scrolling through feeds, clicking from one link to the next, seeking out the latest updates and trends. Yet, in this relentless pursuit, we often lose sight of our original intentions and priorities. The sheer volume of content available overwhelms our senses, leading to a state of digital inertia where we consume passively, without meaningful engagement or critical reflection. Our consumption becomes driven by algorithms and recommendation systems, dictating what content we see and reinforcing echo chambers of thought. In this endless cycle of consumption, the illusion of choice dissipates, and we surrender control to the algorithms that govern our digital existence.
Nicoleta Mureș (b.1996) is a Romanian artist based in Madrid, working with digital collages, video, animation, 3D, AR and generative AI. Her practice is a continuous observation of the virtual body under different stress related situations, anxieties, fear. Her goal is to further investigate the possibilities and limitations that put the flesh, be it real or digital in the spotlight.
Her visuals predict a dystopian future, where people have to deal with unreal emotions, isolation, disembodiment while being influenced by the way in which technology fuels humanity’s desire to consume. Her projects reflect on how the Internet distorts life and the profound changes that affect humankind. The lack of reactions from reality is what made her think that we are heading towards a “numbness” of senses and personality. As we spend more time searching for content online, we increase the possibility that we become like the objects around us: still, fixed in appliances, immovable. Nicoleta’s works were also displayed in festivals: Tour de Moon (2022), Simultan (2022, 2024), Digerati Emergent Media Festival (2023, 2024), ADAF (2024), PAF (2024) and art fairs: Liste Art Fair Basel (2022), Viennacontemporary (2022).
© Nicoleta Mureș, Doom Scrolling and Web Meditation, 2024, video still, courtesy the artist.