Set in the near future world of 2034, Gener8ion unfolds as an immersive audiovisual experience in ten parts. Through several warped, speculative stories and sound installations, director Romain Gavras and music producer Surkin imagine dystopian versions of a moment eight years from today. Opening today at 180 Studios, the exhibition explores ideas around youth, identity, technology and social fragmentation, projecting them into futures that feel both distant and uncomfortably believable.
In one room Charlize Theron stars in ‘Love & Tears’, in which a hyper-advanced 3D rendering engine generates lifelike replicas of Hollywood actors, raising questions about authorship and the commodification of identity in an increasingly synthetic industry. In another, ‘Born Free’ follows a dystopian government unit tasked with ‘purifying’ the city by targeting red-haired boys. Soundtracked by MIA, the darkly satirical story exposes the absurdity and violence behind today’s systems of law and order. Other musical collaborators include 070 Shake, Yannis Philippakis from Foals and choreographer Damien Jalet.
Collectively, the films use these exaggerated futures as extensions of the present, but why 2034? ‘The future isn’t just going to be flying cars,’ says Gavras. ‘I like the idea of the very near future — what changes, what doesn’t. I’m more interested in the small things, behaviour patterns and small ideas that grow in society. It was never about robots or the end of the world, it’s about those nuances that felt interesting to us.’ These ideas ground the films in a kind of speculative realism, Gavras’ focus on subtle behaviours and cultural codes gives the films their unsettling familiarity.
The immersive setting in 180 Studios encourages a slower, more deliberate way of engaging with the visuals — ‘a very different experience when you’re in a physical space, immersed in it, not scrolling on your phone but surrounded with music,’ says Gavras. Visitors move from room to room, between different worlds that ask us to rethink how we experience visual culture, using sound, scale and spatial design to reshape the cinematic experience.
Highlights include an extended version of the viral video Storm, featuring Yung Lean. Set in a boys’ school in Leeds, the film — which has racked up over 14 million views on YouTube since its April release — captures a charged atmosphere of mischief, rebellion and violence among schoolboys. The track is the first release from an accompanying album, titled ‘Love & Tears’ which debuts 12 June.
Gener8ion runs until 31 July.
