Tech panic

The focus is on moments of uncertainty in which society encounters a new medium and struggles to understand what impact it might have and how it might change us.

The term ‘Technopanik’ (often used synonymously with ‘moral panic’ in the context of technology) refers to the recurring cultural, political and social anxiety that arises as soon as a new technology enters society. One of the earliest examples can be found in Plato’s *Phaedrus*: the Egyptian king Thamus warns that writing will not strengthen memory but will instead lead to forgetfulness. Later, the spread of printed novels triggered similar fears. Photography challenged the role of painting; in the 20th century, comparable concerns were directed at radio, television, pop music, cinema and comics, and since the 1980s at video games. Today, the debates centre on social media, algorithms and generative AI, raising questions about disinformation, copyright, surveillance, work, authorship, attention and the concentration of power.

Rather than asking whether new technologies are good or bad, the exhibition explores how each new medium gives rise to both possibilities and fears. The works engage with technology in ways that are critical, humorous, nostalgic or experimental. They question, embrace, repurpose or imitate it, or reveal the absurdity of our attempts to control it.

Opening: Saturday, 26 September 2026, from 6 pm.

At the opening, Albena Baeva will present the ‘Gallery Gallery’ together with the participants of the ‘Hands-on AR for Artists’ workshop.

Exhibition dates: 27 September to 7 November 2026

Venue: Projektraum Galerie M, Marzahner Promenade 46, 12679 Berlin (access via the pedestrian zone)