"Služba? Diploma? Žena? V tej ekonomiji?" Umetnik Neo Nor nas v delu Born to Feel popelje v akcijsko dogajanje post-kolapsiranega sveta, kjer vojni dezerter beži pred nadzornim dronom. V animiranem interaktivnem okolju sledimo njegovemu begu v naravo, stran od tehnologije – umiku, ki se na koncu sprevrže v napad z doma izdelanim orožjem plasma coil bottle launcher.
Neo Nor v svojih delih ustvarja poglede v mračni svet, poln nišnih referenc iz videoiger in marginalnih likov, ki poskušajo preživeti na robu sistemskega kolapsa. Znotraj svoje post-digitalne distopije razmišlja o vlogi digitalnih sistemov tako pri eskapizmu kot pri konstrukciji lastne identitete, pri čemer prehaja med spekulativnim, fiktivnim svetom in resničnostjo ter lastna občutenja in zanimanja stalno prepleta z govorico internetnih subkultur in estetikami videoiger. A ta fiktivna okolja niso zgolj pribežališče, ampak so tudi prostor upora; skozi njihovo grajenje umetnik vzpostavlja alternativne načine bivanja in delovanja, ki kljubujejo prevladujočim socialnimi normam in pritiskom.
Umetnik prevzema in kvira vojaško estetiko, ki je danes prisotna v spletnih okoljih – te vsebine, značilne za desničarske narative, apropriira v queer simbole, kjer se vojaki borijo za drugačen vrednostni sistem. Delo govori o občutku, da je danes skoraj lažje predstavljati preživetje v naravi kot v resničnem svetu. Je razmislek o offline eskapizmu, značilnem za mlajše generacije, ki so vse življenje odvisne od digitalnih tehnologij – ideja Born to feel, not born to scroll tako postane način soočanja s trenutnimi družbenimi in ekonomskimi realnostmi.
Neo Nor (1999) je zaključil dodiplomski študij videa in novih medijev na Akademiji za likovno umetnost in oblikovanje v Ljubljani, kjer nadaljuje tudi magistrski študij na isti smeri. Ustvarja predvsem v digitalnih tehnikah, kot so video, animacija, digitalna grafika in video igre.
(ENG)
"A job? A degree? A wife? In this economy?" In his work Born to Feel, artist Neo Nor takes us into the action-packed world of a post-collapse society, where a war deserter is fleeing from a surveillance drone. In an animated interactive environment, we follow his escape into nature, away from technology – a retreat that ultimately turns into an attack using a homemade weapon, a plasma coil bottle launcher.
In his works, Neo Nor creates glimpses into a dark world filled with niche references from video games and marginal characters trying to survive on the brink of systemic collapse. Within his post-digital dystopia, he reflects on the role of digital systems in both escapism and the construction of one’s own identity, constantly shifting between a speculative, fictional world and reality, and continually interweaving his own feelings and interests with references to internet subcultures and video game aesthetics. But these fictional environments are not merely a refuge; they are also a space of resistance. Through their creation, the artist establishes alternative ways of living and acting that defy prevailing social norms and economic pressures.
The artist appropriates and subverts the military aesthetic prevalent in online environments today – he transforms this content, characteristic of right-wing narratives, into queer symbols in which soldiers fight for a different value system. The work speaks to the feeling that today it is almost easier to imagine survival in nature than in the real world. It is a reflection on offline escapism, characteristic of younger generations who have been dependent on digital technologies their entire lives. Being trapped in a loop and the idea of Born to feel, not born to scroll thus become a way of coping with current social and economic realities.
Neo Nor (1999) completed his undergraduate studies in video and new media at the Academy of Fine Arts and Design in Ljubljana, where he is also pursuing a Master’s degree in the same field. He works mainly in digital techniques such as video, animation, digital graphics and video games.
