Akwasi Afrane - Digital Dreams: Analaog Hearts

In a world increasingly dominated by tangible and non-tangible digital interactions, Akwasi Afrane invites us to probe our awareness and question the costs of our trans-digital obsessions. Through the reimagining of abandoned electronic gadgets, Afrane offers a critical examination into the concept of hacking and re-engineering where utility no longer takes center stage. Stripped of their original functions, these once-functional machines are reimagined as hybrid forms, offering a new life that defies their past purposes. Through playful prompts and commands, they perform tasks in unexpected ways, becoming alien objects where their history, remnants, and data linger. In this reconfiguration, the objects both lose and gain meaning.

In an age of endless scrolling and consumption, it is essential to consider what lies beneath these intangible interactions. The tools we wield; artificial intelligence, social media, and gaming—reshape our behaviours, societies, and environments. While AI() and social_media[] are often viewed as purely digital entities, the substantial hardware that supports these systems, encompassing massive data_centers{}, servers(), cooling_systems(), and processors{} are frequently overlooked. This technology operates within an invisible web of (energy consumption) + e-waste; leading to a disconnect from the (reality) that underpins our digital aspirations. //Beyond the superficial “like”, ‘’click’’, and ‘’scroll’’ lies a tangible cost, spanning (energy_usage) ++, resource_extraction, and the mounting challenge of e-waste_management[].

- Excerpt of Curatorial Text by Abraham Tettey

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