Greetings, affection, holding hands, helping each other are a few examples of concrete forms of human relationships. Relationships that really happen by meeting and touching, today are heading towards a sophisticated form, of course this relationship is becoming more sophisticated because of the rapid development of technology. Communicating has become easier with smartphones, shopping has become easier with onlineshops, buying food, paying, and many other things are made easier with the many technologies made to facilitate it. When everything is so easy and can be done without moving a bit from where we are at the moment, of course it gives a lot of advantages to speed up the movement, but with so much acceleration that occurs touch and face relationships are increasingly cut. There is no need to meet each other to make transactions, everything has been arranged in such a way with the program, humans only need to swipe the screen. According to Marsshall Berman, modernity is not only characterized by the dialectic of novelty, but also the dialectic of speed. This can be seen from the increasing tempo of novelty, which is accompanied by the high tempo of life, especially in urban areas.1 Acceleration always demands something new, and something new only lasts a short time, then its value changes to old and is replaced by a newer one, this pattern will continue to repeat itself. Likewise, human relationships are always changing in ways and essences, when changes are not properly planned, there will be confusion and serious problems.

To get to know people, nowadays it is easier with the existence of social media, even without us knowing their background, whether we have an interest or not when getting to know them, humans today are so easy to explore through visual exposure presented on social media. Regardless of whether or not they have an interest in the person, many social media users will ‘follow’ because the person is handsome or beautiful, just physical attraction on the screen. Actually, this kind of relationship is not a relationship that has a deep emotional attachment, after all, when we follow someone on social media we don’t really know if he is a real ‘person’, his face is that beautiful or handsome, or his life is like what is told in his social media. It’s all so blurry and yet offers so much fun, the relationships become so superficial. The cultural contradiction of speed: on the one hand, it increases the duration of pleasure, on the other hand, it narrows the duration of spirituality.2

As an illustration, when I want to buy an item without having a smartphone to buy online, the procedure I have to do is; I have to go to the market, meet the buyer, bargain, if there is an agreement then I can get the item I want. During the process of going to the market to buy the goods, there are many opportunities for me to meet new people and communicate, from that communication it allows me to get opportunities that we might not be able to imagine. For example, when I was going to the market I felt thirsty, so I stopped at a tavern, at the tavern I met a talent scout who happened to see me and thought I had the potential to star in a movie he was working on, so in addition to buying the goods I needed, I also got a job to star in a movie. That’s where the ‘real’ possibilities are minimized by the convenience presented by technology. If we buy using a smartphone, the options we have are that we open the smartphone select the item, then make a transfer, and the item is delivered. The chances of us interacting with new people in real life become smaller and smaller, making us far from ‘real’ and become people who stay in place.

What we want to criticize is how acceleration affects human relationships. With all the conveniences, humans do not have the space and time to have real conversations, and may have an impact on the culture itself. Manners, politeness and many behaviors that construct culture, passed down orally and by example, may disappear over time due to acceleration. According to Virilio, human existence in the container of space undergoes a fundamental change, from “a body that moves in space”, to a body that is held in place as an inertial valve, a point where the subject accommodates, holds, absorbs every substance and movement that comes (information, spectacle, style) through electronic simulation.³

In a further reading at the territorial level, this pattern can result in the city no longer providing space and time for pleasantries, manners, teposliro: to say hello, to say just “hello!”.⁴ Humans become increasingly busy with themselves and do not have much time to pay attention to their surroundings. As a result, the city becomes a place that does not offer much meaning to deep relationships but only surface-level relationships.

¹ Marshall Berman, All That is Solid Melts Into Air, Verso, London 1982, hlm. 16.
² Yasraf Amir Piliang, Dunia Yang Berlari (Dormologi, Impolsi, Fantasmagoria), Yogyakarta, 2017, hlm. 35.
³ Paul Virilio, Speed & Politics, Semiotext(e), New York, 1986, hlm. 13.
⁴ Yasraf Amir Piliang, Dunia Yang Berlari (Dormologi, Impolsi, Fantasmagoria), Yogyakarta, 2017, hlm. 35, 36.

• Written as a curatorial introduction to the exhibition entitled Pesta Seni 5
• ARTIST : Ainun M. & Okta Viviana A.N., Akhmad Irfan, Alif Sukma, Muclisin, Arisona Rahman, M. Azhar Hammadi, Deny Renandan P, Desy Dwi Lestari, SMP & SMK Al-Firdaus, DKV Stikom, Eko Utomo, Fandi A.S, Ferry M. Fatoni, Frisky Jayantoro, Galan Arkasa P, Happy Wahyu F, Hendra Agung P, Hevids Hadid A, Jonathan Viola C, Juniewan B, Karimatus Sa’adah, Kelompok Trimerti, Khotibul, Muhammad Iqbalsyah, Malta F, Meidito Dian P, M. Rizky Nugroho, Moh. Nasyeh Lukman H, Muhamad Ardan A, Nihru Hiqam, Muhammad Nur L.W – Arvin R.A – M. Rizky F – Rizky Gandha N, Osyada R – Fuad Nuriyanto – Vicko Afriansyah, Rico Yogi S.S – Brilian Gilang R – Hasyim Dwi Irwanto – Ikko M.F, Rio Ari Firmansyah, Rizka Azizah Hayati, Sultan Putra, Upin Arifin, Farikh Abdul Aziz, Frans Goesmar P, I’an Rafly, Nawang Cahyani, Akbar Warisqianto, Ruth Kezia A, Surya Anggara, Andri Paguh – Anang Tsani – Galan Arkasa, APIPRAWK, Ashar Auliarahman, Bhagas Arta B, Candra Rizky P, Dwi Hartanto.
• EXHIBITION PERIODE : 30 Oktober – 1 November 2018
• LOCATION : Sasana Krida, Jl. Veteran, Sumbersari, Kec. Lowokwaru, Kota Malang, Jawa Timur 65144