Rait Prääts
CHIP CRISIS
6.05.- 31.05.2022
According to the artist, a rapidly developing world of artificial intelligence (AI) has been formed inside of the naturally evolutionized word. Augmented reality is born. Through his current exhibition Chip Crisis, Rait Prääts attempts to examine this new form of reality as well as find intersections and differences. The artist’s research is not completed yet, but the first outcome can be already revealed.
Most of pleasures and some of temptations belong only to the natural world. For instance, there are no such things as the abundance of fragrances and tastes, the pleasure of touching, enjoying nature, soft caress of spring breeze, passion of kisses, excitement of sex, awareness of being mortal, relaxation from smoking a cigarette, pleasures experienced with narcotic substances and alcoholic drinks in artificial world. At the same time, more and more experiments attempt to enter the evolution of natural world. It can be stated that the human species increasingly looks at nature and other information on various screens. Changing the genetics of species is in its baby steps, lots of species have already been changes and some species already extinct. Today it is unknown whether algorithms and chips develop more towards progress or destruction. At the present day, natural and AI worlds share numerous intersections that can be called augmented reality. The latter can be conceived as an extraordinary development leap that has brought along both good and evil – for instance, the crisis of truth, increasing desire for wealth, ethical crisis, wars, hybrid wars, destruction of technology and nature, energetic crisis, crisis of primary products, chip crisis, the possibility to delete everything by pushing a button. If trying to find anything positive in the abovementioned crises, then the chip crisis is currently intensely blocking the abilities of the bloody aggressor in the War of Independence in Ukraine. There are signs that Ukraine is able to protect its independence when receiving hi-tech support. For making final conclusions the studies are still in a very early phase. But it can be stated with confidence that augmented reality is born to stay and to develop.
Rait Prääts (b. 1952) has graduated from the Estonian State Art Institute in 1975. Prääts is a member of the Estonian Artists’ Association, Estonian Glass Artists’ Union and Estonian Sculptors’ Union. He has participated in exhibitions since 1975 both in Estonia and abroad. The artist has held 21 personal exhibition. Together with his wife, graphic artist Sirje Eelma, Rait Prääts has held an exhibition series „In one house“ consisting of 16 parts. Rait Prääts’s artwork are also in several public places in Estonia, Finland, Georgia and France. He has taught at the Estonian Academy of Arts and organized the festival Kunstisuvi (Summer of Art, 1995–2008). Prääts’s artwork are in numerous private collections and various museums.
Special thanks: Estonian Museum of Applied Art and Design, Estonian Artists Association, Gallery Okapi.
Exhibitions in HOP gallery are supported by the Estonian Ministry of Culture, Cultural Endowment of Estonia and Liviko Ltd.