Recently I hold the privilege to assist to an exhibition from the digital artist Sergio Salazar* in Toledo, Spain. Working around six concepts to masterfully take us from the real world to an oneiric one: a new world that is the digital dimension. Playing with the following concepts all together as one: 

Communication -Ephemeral-Transit-Silence-Dreams-Overlap

Silence is the big and inspiring axis from the stormy noise that supposes digital communication and the even more noisy Social Media. A true overlap of ideas, concepts, and actions, mostly unconnected -incoherent- without a guiding line, and sadly, without transformative impact in the long term. Only an ephemeral short trip where we never reach our destination, on the contrary, a permanent state of transit, where dreams rather than realities are the goal in itself, although not achievable. Prefabricated phantasies to lead the masses towards specific -sometimes hidden- interests, certainly not to developing critical thinking. Technologically developed and sophisticated tools that make us more independent, although fully dependant on the system, products that elevate us to a robotized dimension, but not on spirit and empathy.

 A pseudo “more communication” is leading us into more ignorance and intrusion instead of being more informed/empowered to then be able to deliver a message: powerful, diverse, and enriched in solutions, solidarity, and inclusive and transformative change.

A true sea of information, data, and doubtful transparency floods the social networks impacting the lives of millions leaving no trace, and surprisingly, without taking any responsibility. The power of superficial, incendiary impact is much more important than the long-term impact of a sustainable way of living where institutional-individual-personal-professional relationships become part of only one results-driven system. The search for balance becomes a weakness instead of a source of strength and resilience. 

Many of us navigate this sea with clear goals, although with no clear destination submitted to the chaotic and vertiginous movement of their anarchic waves. Is precisely democracy that fails, the capacity to make of the majority a voice, and not just an echo. 

A minority of unsustainable goals, devoid of values, detached from the sense of high and common interests lead to a stage that in the end not necessarily get us into global sustainability, but the sustainable way of delivering services and products. A cardboard box that makes us believe that we are free, and owners of our thoughts when is the contrary: is the way to cancel freedom, and tide us into a road to nowhere in terms of guarantees. 

Individual freedom has never seen so threatened.

Dreams are like sand, once you take them in your hands it vanishes. That’s why our goals are different from our dreams. The digital machinery usually works with our dreams and not with our goals, making our dreams a destination in itself when are only a fantasy. Meanwhile, social networks are carefully structured to boost a “common language” that is not at all global but grey, homogenous, and in the search to deliver only one message coming from the backstage of this big technological scenario.

Is precisely the overlap of information and the storm against values -respect, tolerance, patience, integration, and dialogue- that many times forces us into silence to avoid the transit state between reality and phantasy that is selling – bombing- us by the Media and social networks. Definitely with no room for exploring a system change, although it creates a change in consumption, services, and no doubt attitudes, where euphoria prevents one to get into a colorful society based on integration and tolerance.

In the last twenty years, we have been focused on massive messages, not necessary on deep and transformative ones, that is the reason that change is so troublesome, and even if finally we get one, we realize that is not about awareness or/and awakening to a new and transformative era but the repetition of an all model disguised by new shapes.

Ephemeral messages that last only the time of euphoria, not the long-lasting savor of reflection and revolutionary thoughts within impact. 

Silence…in the end silence is the only indifferent and powerful attitude that protects from a toxic environment, dictatorial and intrusive. Listening to the echo of our internal harmony not an echo from external standards. Creating a wave of serene atmosphere, somehow surrealistic as is it not aligned with the ephemeral world of massive communication, a realistic view always in transit with our idealistic dreams. Flowing within the inner peace, convictions based on values, and a firm attitude towards the built of a new world, not the repetition of an old grey one within a new colorful paint cover.

Painting transformation supposes a steady silent action, that overlap with our thoughts, ideologies, beliefs, and even ephemeral it may create an impact if it is well communicated and aligned with other’s dreams. A transit between a chaotic reality into a state of fully open-minded goals and idealism inaction.

* https://www.toledo.es/agenda/exposicion-fotopictorica-de-sergio-salazar-analogias-digitales/