In Russia, Digital Artists Sync Time Itself
At St. Petersburg’s “Tsifergaus” gallery, holograms, bioart, AI, and mechanical installations explore what it means to feel time.
A new exhibition titled “Synchronization” has opened at the Tsifergaus Digital Art Gallery in St. Petersburg, showcasing the six winning projects from Russia’s 2024 Media Art Competition. The show blends cutting-edge technology with contemporary art, featuring AI-driven works, holograms, bioart, and kinetic installations — all united by one theme: time.
From Living Fungi to “Hacked” Clocks
Among the standout pieces is “Slime Mold” by Maria Kuptsova, a living organism that grows as it absorbs nutrient-infused water. The fungus sends biological impulses that are translated into sound and color, turning growth itself into a performance.
Another project, “Hacked Clocks” by Victor Kertanov, animates an everyday object — a household clock — giving it agency to “speak” through movement and sound.
According to the organizers, this year’s competition marks a turning point: digital art has moved beyond the screen, becoming a physical, sensory experience where technology and nature merge — and where time, for once, can be felt.
