Whilst masquerading as a fiction — reports from a future dystopia transmitted in episodes by a posthuman life force — the world of Charlie Tweed’s Notes series, like all dystopias, mirrors the concerns of the present moment, specifically 21st century systems of control that perpetuate ideologies of fear. The artist has created the narrative of a shadowy, omnipresent powerbase who are orchestrating change on a mass scale. Their plans include a worldwide flood (We are the above), and, more mysteriously still, a movement intent on capturing ‘all of the birds’ in order to “store them securely in places where they can operate freely” (Where we are now). The imperative for this apparently urgent yet nonsensical collective action is conveyed by computerised voiceovers. These voices, always addressing ‘us’, the viewer, outline their plans calmly and with authority, accompanied by melancholic music. The continual use of the plural is deliberate, implying that ‘we’ must have the same desires as the anonymous collective who speak to and for us. Compliance with these urgent actions also appears to be the only way that we can maintain our safety, albeit at the cost of everything we know.

Exhibitions include: Spike Island, Bristol (solo show) and Animate Projects, London (solo show)