Metànthropia – Carlo Gambirasio

evolution [ORIGIN Latin evolutio(n-) (unrolling and) reading of a papyrus roll, from evolut- pa. ppl stem of evolvere]…Any process of gradual change occurring in something, esp. from a simpler to a more complicated or advanced state; the passage of something through a succession of stages. Also, origination by natural development as opp. to production by a specific act….” (from the Shorter Oxford English Dictionary) What’s the purpose of technology? This was the question I started from. Medical devices of all kinds serve to preserve life. Cars serve to save time and energy. Personal devices such as smartphones and computers serve to create new types of experience and new forms of interaction. We create what we need to overcome our limits. Humans are using technology to reinvent evolution, adapting it to our needs and fast-tracking it. I have coined the word “Metànthropia” to designate this “artificial self-evolution” created by humans, which differs from natural evolution in its methods and time-frames. The artist would like to give special thanks to Giacomo Sambugaro, graduate in classical literature, for his help in developing the idea.