Heatwave

Heatwave is a collection of photographed objects and situations, forms and phenomena via which the artist and the viewer contemplate the relationship between nature and culture, humans and technology, the man-made and the machine-made, in the era of the Anthropocene. Exploring the tension between man, nature, and technology in the Anthropocene, Heatwave was the award-winning project by South Korean artist Dongkyun Vak for A New Gaze 3, Art Vontobel’s biannual sponsorship award.

Established in the 1970s, collecting at the Swiss private banking and investment firm Vontobel was inspired by the belief that art in the workplace presents a wonderful starting point for conversation, illustrated by Art Vontobel’s endeavours and commitment to contemporary art. Primarily dedicated to identifying and nurturing young and emerging talent, this intention is further emphasized by A New Gaze, founded in 2017 as a steppingstone for rising talent.

The term ‘Anthropocene’ refers to a new geological epoch and regards humans as the most influential species on the planet. The artist places the significance of technology for this historical turning point at the centre of his artworks. Vak seeks to compare nature’s technology with that of production which, with time, can evolve from within and, in doing so, may take on quite a different and unexpected use than the one originally intended.