Two seemingly endless hordes clash into a violent free-for-all, swinging large melee weapons and shouting with distorted voices. A wide range of characters—from citizen militias to fantastical creatures—enter the screen only to kill each other, wave after wave, sinking their virtual bodies slowly into a muddy landscape. The mood occasionally lightens up by the medieval covers of familiar pop songs that complete the soundscape conceived by the composer and sound designer Diego Navarro. Looking at phenomena such as the rise of QAnon, the artist suggests connections between gamification, fantasy, and political radicalization.

Links: https://vimeo.com/559573061

Radicalization Pipeline, 2021 by Theo Triantafyllidis 
Sound: Diego Navarro 
Courtesy: The Breeder Gallery, Athens, GR

Theo Triantafyllidis (GR) (b. 1988, Athens) works with digital and physical media to explore the experience of space and the mechanics of embodiment in hybrid realities. Utilizing algorithms and gaming tech, virtual reality headsets and experimental performance processes, he creates interactions within immersive environments. In Triantafyllidis’s worlds awkward interactions and precarious physics mingle with uncanny, absurd, and poetic situations, inviting the viewer to engage with new realities. He holds an MFA from UCLA, Design Media Arts and a Diploma of Architecture from the National Technical University of Athens. He has exhibited internationally, including House of Electronic Arts in Basel, Hammer Museum in Los Angeles, NRW Forum in Dusseldorf, Meredith Rosen Gallery, the Breeder, Eduardo Secci, and Transfer. He took part in the 2021 Athens Biennale with ECLIPSE, Sundance New Frontier 2020 with Anti-Gone, and Hyper Pavilion in the 2017 Venice Biennale. Theo Triantafyllidis is based in Los Angeles.