Hito Steyerl – Power Plants

‘Power Plants’ is an immersive exhibition by German filmmaker and visual artist Hito Steyerl, new to the Serpentine Gallery in April 2019. Using digital art that blurs the line between the “virtual” and the “real”, Steyerl comments on the surrounding areas of Chelsea and Kensington by pointing to social inequalities and the imbalance of power.

The exhibition uses an augmented reality app called ‘Actual Reality’ to allow visitors to interact with these issues themselves. Sculptures and visuals are brought to life as the concept of power is reflected in electrical currents and plant ecology, and the surrounding park is utilised as AI-created flowers bloom “in the wake of human disruption or destruction.” Elsewhere, documentation, found images and interviews are interwoven with dream-like visuals that confront artificial intelligence and human testament.

The Vinyl Factory have announced a limited edition vinyl release of the installation’s soundtrack, featuring Steyerl, British artist Kojey Radical and late Japanese producer Susumu Yokata.

The exhibition runs from 11th April – 6th May 2019.