Szymon Rogiński – The Internets

NIRiU 2019

Navigating the space of the Internet has become something obvious for us (natural for many), but do we really understand how it changes our reality, perception, and interpersonal relationships? Are we able to control and keep up with digital changes? Will the hybrid space, combining what is virtual with what is real, be something alien and hostile to us, or rather tame and necessary?
A series of photos by Szymon Rogiński illustrates the emergence of the Internet and computers in the chaotic landscape of Polish cities. The ugliness of advertisements, signs and neon signs on makeshift buildings erected during the transformation period is intriguing, almost beautiful. Silence, homeliness and peace emanate from the night frames. The dormant internet makes us think about the role of technology in our lives, but also our presence on the Web. The Internet today is something completely different from what its creators imagined. Does it make us happy or sad? How? Or maybe nostalgic? Rogiński’s photographs, despite their hidden depth and unexpected afterimages, are nothing mystical, they do not depict places of worship filled with a timeless presence, or even complacency.