THEY PROMISED US IMMORTALITY
but I’m not afraid to die
TECHNOMORTIS MANIFESTO
Technomortis [techno-technology; mortis-death] opposes the use of the fear of death as a driving force for technological advancement, citing it as a form of spiritual psychosis corrupting the minds of those who seek to advance human society. The philosophical viewpoint is in response to an observation of a pattern of thought described as ‘techgnosis’, coined in 1999 by Erik Davis, which aims at ascension
into a technological “spirit” through means such as digital identity and artificial intelligence with a goal of digital immortality. Technomortis is not a rejection of modern technology; instead, it is a reframe that provides a more stable paradigm for the recalibration of existing technologies and the development of what is yet to come, emphasising the importance of integrating our understanding of mortality with technological progress.
Technomortic Live Ritual
Uriel Lane is an accomplished musician, with his performance artist project Freak Daddy landing him major festival appearances and songs synched on national television shows. His latest series, Darchnerve: Inner Sanctum, incorporates audio and visual elements to create an environment for audiences to lose themselves in ritualistic technomortic communion.
FREAK DADDY LIVE AT THE GLITCH ARTIST RESIDENCY HOSTED AT CHATEU DE FËY
In this psychological sci-fi horror, a renegade flesh-rider and VR hacker, Freak Daddy, lures clients into his simulation of fetish bliss called Darchnerve (pronounced /dark-nerv/) just long enough to syphon off their cash to buy his ticket off the planet. After releasing it to the public, he finds himself embroiled in involuntary manslaughter as bodies of those who went too deep begin appearing on the street, showing telltale signs of burnt nerves, like black webs across their skin. Under the threat of an authoritarian regime run by the oligarchy, Freak Daddy hides in plain sight, hoping for his chance at a better life in space. His plans come crashing down when an ecoterrorist faction blackmails him with their knowledge of his nefarious behaviour and his
DARCHNERVE BRIEF
diagnosis as a human-alien hybrid, "neph," to help them thwart the launch of Pegasus, a massive space station that Freak Daddy and the wealthy elite hoped to catch a ride on. In this allegorical tale that examines transgender oppression, the dangers of white Christian nationalist hyperindividualism, and the foolhardy pursuit of immortality in technological advancement, author Uriel Lane offers readers an antidote to the colonisation of space through his technomortic framework, informed by liberation theory created by Black, brown, and indigenous communities. His glowing blue stellated dodecahedron is the calling card of his virtual reality simulation and marks the portal to the entry of your subconscious if you dare to see it for yourself.
