On May 24, the Museum of the Free Academy L-ABAN in Nola unveiled the exhibition “PostHuman n.5,” curated by sociologist and contemporary art critic Gaetano Romano. This event, a total immersion into the distortions of bodies and minds in the technological age, has attracted numerous art enthusiasts and scholars. The artist behind this provocative exhibition, Walton Zed, has dedicated over twenty years to the research culminating in this unique collection.
In an exclusive interview, Walton Zed shared the roots of his inspiration and the creative process behind “PostHuman n.5.” The artist began his reflection during his time at the Academy of Fine Arts in Naples, initially demonizing the television and the power of the media. Today, Zed sees the cellphone as the new frontier of this technological invasion, a small device capable of monopolizing our attention and dictating our time.
The Inspiration Behind “PostHuman n.5”
Zed describes his inspiration as a journey of awareness: “We are now at the peak of the information technology age, where the technology we hoped would symbolize progress and extraordinary achievements for our species has not succeeded. We have lost the ability to fully utilize our five senses because we have traded them for prosthetics. The cellphone is our prosthesis.” This sense of lost humanity and reflection on posthuman evolution is the driving force behind his works, which offer a powerful and visceral critique of technological dependence.
The Creative Process
Zed’s creative process is as fascinating as the concept behind his works. He often works in a trance, painting simultaneously on four canvases placed side by side, using both hands. Zed explains, “I believe in the power of the animal instinct that still partly belongs to us. Instinct, and the recovery of the senses, has always been the engine of my research.” This methodology, combined with an expressionist technique, allows him to create detailed and realistic works quickly, following the flow of his artistic instinct.
Managing Creativity
Managing the vision of subsequent works while working on a single piece is not an issue for Zed, thanks to his symbiotic relationship with colors. “The creative process becomes something extremely natural, a form of primordial language,” he states. This relationship allows him to maintain a clear and coherent vision of his work, despite the frenetic pace of his method.
The Exhibition
The exhibition, open to the public at the Museum of the Free Academy L-ABAN in Nola, offers a unique view of contemporary art through the eyes of Walton Zed. His works, full of expressive power and cinematic atmospheres, represent art lived on one’s skin, an intense and overwhelming experience for every visitor. The exhibition “PostHuman n.5” thus reveals a fascinating and unsettling journey into the distortions of our era, a warning, and a reflection on the future of humanity.
The event continues to be a significant talking point in the contemporary art scene, inviting the public to reflect on their relationship with technology and its impact on our human essence.
