MODERN WISDOM, 2021.
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Acrylic on canvas
In MODERN WISDOM, the ancestral image of the ape—long a symbol of evolution and primal thought—is reimagined through a contemporary lens. This triptych presents simian figures equipped with objects emblematic of modern life: a pair of Beats headphones, a surgical face mask, and a virtual reality headset.
Each of these elements serves as a visual metaphor, inviting viewers to reflect through irony and subtle critique. The first figure, set against a vibrant green background, adopts the classic pose of deep contemplation—echoing Rodin’s The Thinker—yet does so while wearing designer headphones. What kind of wisdom emerges when thought is mediated by constant digital stimulation? Is introspection still possible in an age of endless noise?
In the center panel, the ape wears a blue surgical mask, framed by a bold orange backdrop. This figure embodies the post-pandemic subject: cautious, isolated, and hyper-aware of the body as a vulnerable space. Its human-like eyes gaze outward with a mixture of weariness and resilience, confronting us with the paradox of modern wisdom—one that protects but also separates.
The third figure, bathed in deep purples, dons a virtual reality headset, seemingly disconnected from its physical environment. Here, modern wisdom becomes immersive escape—an artificial construction of alternate realities that replace tangible experience. The digital realm, once a tool, now becomes the world itself.
Together, these three panels form a triptych of the modern human condition, using the ape not merely as an evolutionary reference, but as a mirror—an ironic reflection of 21st-century humanity. The vibrant acrylic palette and dramatic contrasts enhance the tension between the primal and the technological, between reflection and distraction.
MODERN WISDOM does not offer definitive answers. Instead, it raises pressing questions: Is this what our pursuit of wisdom has become? What kind of knowledge do we value in a hyperconnected, digitized, and increasingly depersonalized world?