The Fifth Generation

Conspiracy theories, which thrive in times of uncertainty and have been linked to extremism, have now entered the mainstream. Their prevalence is a symbol of our so-called “post-truth society”, characterised by a lack of agreement over the nature of truth. The Fifth Generation looks into modern-day conspiracy theories linking 5G technology with the coronavirus pandemic, which resulted in the vandalism of at least 100 phone masts in 2020.

The pervasivenss of 5G conspiracies are not just a reflection of our information environment, but also the technology that underpins it. Described as one of the most important innovations of our time, 5G represents our fear, confusion and helplessness in the face of the unprecedented technological shifts in communication we’re living through.

Mirroring the rehash culture of conspiracy theories and the internet more broadly, The Fifth Generation employs montage and appropriation, combining found footage from the web, social media text exchanges and official reports with her own photography to interweave various perspectives – both true and untrue. Through this fictionalised documentary approach, the work seeks to shed light on the shifting boundaries between fact and fiction in an increasingly image- and information-saturated world.