Sarabande's Group Show 'Uhrformen' Offers An Explorative Take On The Metaverse

What rots in the digital, and what is preserved? Would our digital selves have a second life after we are gone? Whether these questions have (or have not) been on your mind, they're worth thinking about as we edge closer to - at least what we hope - will be an all-inclusive digital space.

Although we may not have the answers to the above (yet), Sarabande residents Marta Klara and Louis Alderson-Bythell (LAB) have gathered together with Sarabande Alumnus Leo Carlton to form the platform's latest group show UHRFORMEN, which offers an exploration of geological, biological and digital time through a collection of VR experiences.

Questions like 'Will our tools outlive us and what other species will they sustain?' and 'If a digital tree falls in a physical forest, who dies under it?' also form the backbone of the show as the five-day exhibition pledges to challenge our relationship with the world around us, the digital and physical combined. Each artist's works will interact with one another and be transfigured to the human scale through performances by Anna Lann as Klara continues to explore rites of passage; LAB considers how our technologies extend not only our reach but also the reach of non-human life and Carlton creates space for metaphysical contemplation.

Above all else, UHRFORMEN exists to pose a myriad of questions that may seem far fetched in comparison to the now but, down the line, will help us carve a more inclusive and sustainable future for all. According to a press release, the air in the space is 'a concoction of embalming volatiles used to mummify Cleopatra' with notes of Frankincense Olibanum, Cashmeran, Ambergris, Benzoin, Sacrum (Mirrah), Animalis, Saffran, Mango, Pink Pepper and Ivy, ready to help you through this mystical journey.

UHRFORMEN's private view will take place on 26 May between 18:00-20:00. The exhibition will end on 30 May, 2022.