It’s Dark Inside | Evelyn Bencicova & Armin Keplinger

IT’S DARK INSIDE – Evelyn Bencicova & Armin Keplinger

EXHIBITION: December 7, 1-9pm
PUBLIC RECEPTION: December 7, 6-9pm; complimentary drinks kindly provided by BrewDog
VENUE: TBA one day before the show; use the ‚Reserve a spot‘ button above or email giorgio@synthesis.gallery to receive updates.

synthesis gallery is a space to experience pioneering artists through VR headsets. Visionaries, who understand the importance and freedom of this medium, find a space at synthesis where they are able to play within the conscientious appeal that virtual and augmented reality affords our generation.

No games. No cyborgs. Simple sophistication that goes beyond the senses.

We understand that if left to the tech industry, the future of virtual reality can easily morph into a solitary, corporatized, irrelevant experience. It does not have to be.

VR is frequently mistaken as the end, not the mean, with the accent placed on the technology – at the expenses of the art. VR art is often delivered without a clear vision and curatorial framework – on the altar of the hype.

‘It’s Dark Inside’ kicks off a series of bi-annual exhibitions aimed to address these ongoing issues. We are stepping out of our comfort zone/white cube in Kopernikusstraße 14 to deliver shows with solid vision and curatorial efforts.

Now, more than ever, we are taking this time as an opportunity to showcase the possibilities.

E V E L Y N B E N C I C O V A | A R M I N K E P L I N G E R
in collaboration with Arielle Esther and Joris Demnard

Bencicova and Keplinger play with inter/multidisciplinarity for ‘It’s Dark Inside’: from photography to sculptures and sound performance, all elegantly interlaced with VR.

Bencicova presents ‘Artificial Tears’: a set of 5 large scale prints intertwined with a VR artwork. ‘Artificial Tears’ aims to challenge mainstream views on photography through an immersive journey narrated by the main character as it wanders through several surreal digital landscapes – a product of its own imagination. Bencicova joins forces with Arielle Esther (sound) and Joris Demnard (VR production) to create a multi-layered experience connecting physical installation with its virtual counterpart. Keplinger presents his latest VR fatigue ‘ms-R’ along with a set of kinetic sculptures and a sound performance. ‘ms-R’ features a moon-sliced ring with zero latitude. As the ring moves slowly in circle around the participant’s view with subtle light and movements, ‘ms-R’ aims to send the viewer in a journey to black-end spaces.

‚It’s Dark Inside‘ is curated by George Vitale.

Big thanks to Grover for the ongoing support.

EVELYN BENCICOVA (b. 1992, SK, http://evelynbencicova.com) is a visual creative artist specializing in photography and art direction. With a background in fine arts and new media studies, Bencicova’s practice combines academic research with an interest in contemporary culture to create a unique aesthetic space in which the conceptual meets the visual. Bencicova’s commercial and artistic works have been featured in Vogue Portugal, Vogue Czechoslovakia, Vogue Korea, ZEIT Magazine, The Gentlewoman, ELLE, Dazed & Confused and HANT. She has participated in solo and group exhibitions in London, Tokyo, Paris, Berlin, Milan and Amsterdam to mention few.

ARMIN KEPLINGER (b. 1982, AUT, www.arminkeplinger.com) is an artist with focus on digital image creation and state of art CGI techniques. In his practice, Keplinger explores the interaction between digital and physical spaces as well as the split between different stages of time. His video artworks, sculptures and installations have been exhibited at Winzavod Moscow Contemporary Art Center, Opera National de Paris, Saatchi Gallery and Hessel Museum of Art among other ones.

SYNTHESIS GALLERY, the first VR art gallery, is an immersive blend of technology and art displayed under one roof, showcasing cutting-edge experiences by new wave artists and visionaries through virtual reality. Founded in New York in October 2017 by George Vitale, the gallery opened his doors to the public in April 2018 in Berlin. synthesis’ shows have been regularly selected and recommended by Berlin Art Week and participated in art festivals such as Transmediale/Vorspiel and Retune. Pieces are displayed through different media. Tangible and traditional art forms intermingle with Oculus and Vive headsets. Dedicated to exhibiting internationally renowned, well-established artists alongside emerging ones, since its inception, synthesis has garnered considerable attention in the art scene.