Digital Dreams : Analog Hearts

KUMASI | Amid the buzz of the Kumasi Shopping Mall from November 9–23, 2024, nomadic curatorial project Compound House Gallery hosted Digital Dreams: Analog Hearts, an exhibition featuring Akwasi Bediako Afrane, curated by Abraham Tettey as part of OtherNetwork’s 2024 season of local productions. By fusing hands-on creativity with environmental awareness, Afrane’s artistic intervention sought to critique the impact of modern technological consumption while championing ecological responsibility

Installation views by Anwar Sadat Mohammed, Copyright OtherNetwork 2024.

In a world increasingly dominated by digital interactions, Akwasi Afrane invites us to reflect on the hidden costs of our digital obsessions. Through the creative reimagining of discarded electronic gadgets, Afrane’s installation offers a critical examination of the environmental impact of our hyperconnected digital ecosystem.

As noted by Marshall McLuhan in Understanding Media: The Extensions of Man, “We shape our tools, and thereafter our tools shape us.” In an age of endless scrolling and consumption, it is essential to consider what lies beneath these intangible interactions. While the tools we wield—artificial intelligence, social media and gaming—are often viewed as purely digital entities, Afrane highlights the substantial hardware and energy consumption that supports these systems. Amidst scattered electronics and forgotten devices, visitors to the exhibition were therefore invited to immerse themselves in a realm of possibilities, piecing together remnants of yesterday’s technology into imaginative creations, catalysing reflections on the repercussions of our digital pursuits.