De Hallen Haarlem, the museum for modern and contemporary art, opens its new season with the international group exhibition Dread – Fear in the age of technological acceleration. The exhibition (7 September – 24 November 2013) will incorporate works of different media but all representing the fear for the consequences of technological progress. A few of the artists who will be part of Dread are Micol Assaël, James Bridle, Constant, Laurent Grasso, Roger Hiorns, Thomas Hirschhorn, Jacob Kirkegaard, Jonas Lund, Aditya Mandayam, Trevor Paglen, Sarah van Sonsbeeck, and Berend Strik.

Dread is the ominous feeling through which our bodies warn us for possible danger. Thanks to new technologies, this threatening feeling can quickly reach all around us as we share both our happiness and our fears through social media such as Facebook and Twitter. This communication technology instantly spreads information worldwide and plays a huge part in the development and spread of emotions. The fear after the Boston Marathon bombings was felt all over the world at the same time. After 9/11 the image of the burning and falling Twin Towers was indelibly printed in everyone’s memory. The governments have sharpened their security measures after these attacks, but these measures can turn against us as well: how much freedom are you prepared to give up for a sense of security?

This exhibition explores how artists take the fear for an unsure future as inspiration for their work. A few of the works focus on the fear for harmful consequences of new technologies, such as the feeling of being spied on by drones or the internet. Dread can be felt physically from time to time. Other pieces are more personal and poetic, while offering the hope to overcome this fear. Together, all of the works provide a survey in which dread is shown as a creative force behind contemporary art.

Next to the exhibition which runs from 7^th September until 24^th November, there will be an extensive programme of extra activities, such as films, music and a symposium. Noteworthy is the Dread music programme on 13^th September at Muziekgebouw aan ‘t IJ (Amsterdam) with Ryoji Ikeda and Eli Keszler. The Dread symposium and film programme at the film museum EYE in Amsterdam on 26^th September is another event not to be missed. The complete programme can be viewed here.