explore serpentine’s digital guide on bloomberg connects

DISCOVER ‘THIRD WORLD: THE BOTTOM DIMENSION’ ON SERPENTINE’S GUIDE ON BLOOMBERG CONNECTS

As the digital realm calls out for exploration, visitors at ‘Third World: The Bottom Dimension’ at Serpentine North are presented with two distinct avenues for venturing into the cyber landscape. In the gallery, on view through November 26, 2023, art enthusiasts can play the game, discovering its meditations on ancestral knowledge, healing, ecological awareness, transmutation, and agency. Utilizing the exhibition’s guide on the Bloomberg Connects app, users gain access to bonus content that unearths how Brazilian artist Gabriel Massan and their collaborators conceptualized and developed this work. The mobile app, with its wealth of educational content and trip-planning tools, empowers its users to dive deeper into the offerings of the London-based gallery and other premier institutions for art and culture.

all images courtesy of Bloomberg Connects unless stated otherwise

Bloomberg Connects, an app-based cultural passport from Bloomberg Philanthropies, supports over 250 leading institutions – including museums, galleries, and gardens –  in sharing enriching material for their exhibitions and spaces. Onsite, offers additional information and insights into an exhibit’s deeper meaning and development. Whether visitors are exploring the ‘Third World’ at the Serpentine North in London or experiencing it from a distance, the platform provides access to collections, curators, artists, and artworks in one digital platform.

Download the app for free via the Apple Store or Google Play.

image: Third World: The Bottom Dimension © Serpentine

photo credit: Hugo Glendinning

THE COLLABORATIONS BEHIND ‘THIRD WORLD: THE BOTTOM DIMENSION’

‘Third World’ is an experimental videogame featuring original compositions, digital sculptures, and a multitude of levels to ascend. To prepare for a full immersion into the complex structure of the work and its community of contributors, visitors can check out the Bloomberg Connects app. It offers a sneak peek into the thoughts and creative processes behind the game’s artists and producers. Discover insights including from Arts Technologies Commissions Curator Tamar Clarke-Brown, an introduction by lead artist Gabriel Massan, and a fascinating look into the mind of Castiel Vitorino Brasileiro, the creator of the game’s first level, ‘Igba Tingbo.’

image credit: Third World: The Bottom Dimension © Serpentine

photo credit: Hugo Glendinning

The project’s artists collectively delve into a hyper-stylized environment that looks at post-colonial Brazil and worlds beyond. Through the lenses of decoloniality, queerness, and decentralization, the web3 games challenge users to reimagine their world and reposition their perspectives. In their in-app interview, lead artist Gabriel Massan discusses how the project finds its roots in Saidiya Hartman’s concept of ‘Critical Fabu ion,’ where factual information serves as the foundation for storytelling. Within this model, Massan brought together a group of artists to share their narratives and ideas. In addition to this audio clip, Bloomberg Connects users have access to the app’s various built-in accessibility features, including voice-over, captions, audio transcripts, image zoom, and font size adjustment.

image credit: The Bottom Dimension Agents Report – Inaugural Awareness. Minted memory captured during the game play of Third World: The Bottom Dimension by Gabriel Massan & collaborators exhibited at the Serpentine Galleries 23 June – 26 November, 2023 © Gabriel Massan and Serpentine

Prior to embarking on a journey to the Hans Ulrich Obrist-led gallery, prospective visitors can access comprehensive details including site locations, previous exhibitions, insights into the venue’s history, and an option to subscribe to the newsletter. A simple scan of a QR code swiftly installs the Bloomberg Connects app on the user’s device, instantly turning their smartphone into a valuable resource for the most up-to-date information in the realms of art and culture.

Download Bloomberg Connects here.

image credit: Gabriel Massan, Third World: The Bottom Dimension, 2022 [Video Game]. Featuring Castiel Vitorino Brasileiro, Novíssimo Edgar & LYZZA. Image courtesy Gabriel Massan.

image credit: Third World: The Bottom Dimension © Serpentine

photo credit: Hugo Glendinning

project info: 

app: Bloomberg Connects | @bloombergconnects 

exhibit name: Third World: The Bottom Dimension

lead artist: Gabriel Massan | @gabrielmassan

collaborating artists: Castiel Vitorino Brasileiro, Novíssimo Edgar, LYZZA, Ventura Profana, Jota Mombaça

curators: Tamar Clarke-Brown (Arts Technologies Commissions Curator), Kay Watson (Head of Arts Technologies), Sarah Hamed (Assistant Exhibitions Curator)
producer: Róisín McVeigh

game credits: available here

exhibition space: Serpentine North

location: Kensington Gardens, London

dates: June 23 to November 26, 2023