The group exhibition #AltNets@panke.gallery brings together artistic positions that explore the intersection of community networks, low tech and permacomputing. The relation between these concepts lies in their shared values of community empowerment, sustainability, and accessibility. They represent different aspects of grassroots efforts to reclaim control over technology and communication infrastructure, while also promoting environmental stewardship and social justice/equality. Central to the exhibition is the recognition of the qualities derived from grounding artistic practices in existing contexts, conditions, and communities. Unlike the solutions proposed by technocratic elites, which often overlook collective efforts and community organization, the artists featured in Alt Nets prioritize nurturing and strengthening the communities they grew from.
The exhibition is part of the project find.select.transform – Resilient Networks in a Wounded World, which responds to the pressing social, ecological, and economic challenges of our time. It employs artistic positions to critically examine how current technological developments and organizational practices can contribute to a sustainable transformation of our society.
The project aims to highlight alternative strategies, aesthetic positions, and networks that challenge the conventional understanding of growth. In doing so, it emphasizes the role of art in narrating such developments and seeks ways to address power imbalances and extractivism.
