“A Mystical Staircase” is a group exhibition in the form of an online tarot deck. Inaugurated online on Thursay 23 June 2016, was performed in Genova at Villa Croce Contemporary Art Museum on Friday 8 July at 7pm with an oracular séance.
Taking its name from an ancient allegory describing the ascension to Knowledge, the project continues the quest for the spiritual dimensions of data consumption that the curatorial duo Francesco Urbano Ragazzi started with The III Internet Pavilion (Miltos Manetas) and The Internet Saga (Jonas Mekas), respectively on the occasion of the 55th and 56th Venice Biennale.
The instructions are quite simple: formulate a question, then pick a card for your reading. One of the 22 artists invited will share a vision with you.Sarah Abu Abdallah, Basma Al Sharif, Johanna Bruckner, FAKA, Gina Folly, ForeverAdaForever, Foundland, Chiara Fumai, Tiril Hasselknippe, Jerome Hill, Institute for New Feeling, Karl Larsson, Kareem Lotfy, Malibu 1992, Miltos Manetas, Eva Papamargariti, Luca Pozzi, Tabita Rezaire, Harry Sanderson, Fabio Santacroce, Bogosi Sekhukhuni, Chai Siris, Berkay Tuncay,Brent Watanabe.
It is a journey toward the concept of destiny, between chaos magick, Gestalt, and algorithmic casualty;from mystique to mystification and back again.The cards will project you into a metaphysical frequency which transcends consumerism, fashion trends, the archetypes of corporate “occult” powers and the future of humankind. The platform has been designed to hide and incorporate some subliminal sources: from gambling to the Oracle database company graphics, from the lights of Windows to DNA ladders and of course online divination platforms.
These tarots will also allude to the rotations of our point of view on moving images, a silent revolution which is happening on our devices. The possibility of writing anew vertical cinema.Now, at your discretion, make a question and pick a card. But remember: he answer is always right and this deck, for your sake, is never wrong. (from the press release)
A Mystical Staircase, curated by Francesco Urbano Ragazzi in collaboration with 63rd-77th STEPS
images (cover 1) A. Mystical Staircase – on line platform. detail Cleopatra + Oracle background (2) A Mystical Staircase – Foundland – Destination Paradise 2014 (4) A. Mystical Staircase – On line platform. detail. (4) A Mystical Staircase – Fabio Santacroce – Honesty at All Cost 2016
