Most people would agree that this world exists, that the screen on which you are reading this text is real. But what if it isn’t? A few years ago, this existential discussion was limited to the academic world and science fiction. But things are changing. Tesla founder, Elon Musk, believes that the chance that we do not live in a computer simulation is one in a billion. These considerations have pushed Sara Brincher Galbiati, Peter Helles Eriksen and Tobias Selnaes Markussen to rethink how they would photograph this reality. Over a period of four years, the collective has explored how far humans have come in creating a perfect simulation by gaining access to some of the world’s most prestigious laboratories working with AI and robots. The authors look at the world as if we are all already living inside a simulation, trying to find glitches that might lead us out of it.
Sara Brincher Galbiati, Peter Helles Eriksen and Tobias Selnaes Markussen (Denmark, 1981, 1984, 1982) are documentary based artists living and working in Copenhagen. In 2015 they formed the artistic collective Sara, Peter & Tobias. While developing their projects, they collaborate on every aspect of the process – from research, interviewing, and taking the actual pictures, to the final editing and designing of books and exhibitions. The collective achieved international recognition with its debut project Phenomena, which was exhibited in 2016 at Rencontres d’Arles and nominated for the Prix de la Photo Figaro. Their latest work The Merge was awarded the British Journal of Photography International Photography Award.
From 23 September to 2 October 2022 the second edition of the PhMuseum Days photography festival will take place at DumBO space in Bologna, Italy. The event is curated and organized by PhMuseum, an incubator of photographic talents, with the aim of becoming one of the most interesting festivals on the European calendar while contributing to placing Bologna among the cities of reference for contemporary photography.
The chosen theme is Today is Yesterday’s Tomorrow, intended as an opportunity to reflect on the powerful moment of change we are living through. The event will be a playground for professionals and a moment of discovery for those who want to get closer to photography and the visual arts. The program includes individual exhibitions, a collective installation, portfolio reviews, screenings, performances and a space dedicated to independent publishing.