?Visitor watch the work of artificial human hands and feet displayed at the 14th Athens Digital Arts Festival, in Athens, Greece, on May 25, 2018. The 14th edition of the annual Athens Digital Arts Festival opened in the Greek capital this week, presenting tales from mankind's future to art lovers.(Xinhua/Marios Lolos)
by Maria Spiliopoulou
ATHENS, May 26 (Xinhua) -- The 14th edition of the annual Athens Digital Arts Festival opened in the Greek capital this week, presenting tales from mankind's future to art lovers.
More than 300 artists from 50 countries and regions present their projects under the theme "Singularity Now" depicting through interactive and audiovisual installations, video art, web projects and creative workshops their predictions about the human's role in the new era of rapid technological advancement.
Human-machine merger or enslave of humanity? Brain upload and immortality or cease of human species? Progression or Regression? Futurism or Archaism? Physics or Metaphysics? Utopia or Dystopia? Beginning or End? These are the main dilemmas posed to participants by the Greek organizers.
"Singularity is a concept defined differently in many fields of science. In mathematics it is tendency to infinity, in physics the core of the black hole, as well as the state right before the Big Bang, the zero point of space and time. In technology, it is a scenario where artificial intelligence surpasses humanity, the technological boom becomes infinite and the outcome is unpredictable," the Athens Digital Arts Festival team explained in a press statement.
Artists were asked to comment on singularity intriguing visitors to take part in the debate.
"I have never seen such impressive installations and interactive art works. Strolling through the exhibition I started wondering whether we have indeed become slaves of technology," Marianthi Koutourli, one of the visitors told Xinhua on Saturday.
The festival which opened on May 24 will close its curtains on Sunday.
