A father once saw a map of the world in a magazine and got an idea. He broke it into pieces and gave it to his son to put it together. To his surprise, the boy did it much faster than the father anticipated. The father asked him how he had done it so quickly. The child replied: “On the other side of the page there was a picture of a man, so I put together the man and the world was fixed.”
This work is about that man and this world, and how the solution to the problems we face are in the hands of man.
The collection ART WARNING, by the Colombian-American artist Lix Mario, addresses the overwhelming advance of technology that today confronts humankind. And directly related to this, the excessive consumerism which is depleting natural resources and damaging the Earth.
The artist does not question the importance of technological development. In fact, without modern advancements, this work would not have been possible. However, he does raise questions and concerns about these issues and emphasizes the need for dialogue and awareness concerning the negative effects that technology is having on our families and on the planet.
For Lix Mario, the issue of the environment is crucial, because the survival of the human species depends on it. So a central theme of this work is to highlight the urgency of eco-awareness and sustainable development on a global level.
As the author himself says, “I just point the way. Those who contemplate the work will see no more than they know or what they want to see or interpret. And that is the beauty of art, which has many faces and no absolute identity.
This collection is the result of an eclectic exercise, taking elements borrowed from philosophy, sociology, psychology and of course, art. They’re integrated into the body of work by means of symbols, forms and the use of materials directly related to the main theme, such as mobile phones, batteries and SIM-Cards, in addition to other recycled electronic components. As such, this is symbology in its purest form, without any hidden agenda. Each element has its own life, yet is connected by the same metaphorical DNA. And what is ultimately expressed is deeper than simple ideas—it conveys knowledge, designed to have a visceral impact on the viewer.
“My art’s beauty is in its unyielding message,” says Lix Mario. “It does not pretend to be a statement of great technique. Indeed, by design, it’s full of imperfections. What I like least about it is that it is inspired by a painful reality. But in spite of that, I cannot remain silent–I have to create.”
In its totality, the collection is a call to have a more profound understanding of the implements that mark our digital age. The work’s greatest virtue is that it defies and challenges the observer to realize the implications of our absolute dependence on technology–not only now, but in an uncertain future. It seeks to take a stand for the human condition, an eloquent response to the unrestrained rush to blindly embrace technologies such as Artificial Intelligence. Art Warning is indeed just that.
Can art save the world? Good question. But we’ve already seen technology’s ongoing failings on that front. Creative responses such as Art Warning might just be part of the solution.