« malavida: moRgan & veriKami »

«MALAVIDA» is an affirmation of cyberfeminist community that celebrates the multidimensionality of identity in the era of transhumanism. Through this perspective, moRgan B. Konopka explores emergent consciousness as a network of relations between human, technology, and nature.

Seven images — from ritualistic (Thank You…) to queer-humorous (Your Phallus…) — invite reflection on bioethics, transcendence, and new forms of community in a world where gender, body, and consciousness are fluid, and happiness becomes a radical act of resistance.

The Malavida cycle consists of seven large-format composite photographic images 170x125 cm produced as laser-exposed photography under plexiglass on dibond. The images are composed of several dozen layers of modified photographic elements and digital painting and graphic structures.

moRgan Barbara Konopka, graduate of the Faculty of Cinematography and Television Production at PWSFTviT in Łódź, violist, and pioneer of cyberfeminism in Polish art, has been exploring the vicissitudes of contemporary human identity in the context of technological revolution and the decline of the Anthropocene for 4 decades.

With over 150 exhibitions, performances, and media art festivals in Europe, as well as music composed for films about art, her work encompasses performance-concerts, video arts, interactive installations, large-format digital photograms, and works created using advanced algorithms—from morphing animations to hybrid objects incorporating 3D printing.

The central theme for moRgan is the phenomenon of emergence, a special property of human consciousness arising from immersion in the electronic environment, from dynamic interactions such as those between the human mind and AI algorithms.

An essential part of her activity is the Pentarosa Ensemble, a platform for inspired multimedia collaboration with the versatile architect and programmer Amelia Weronika Kami, on the basis of whose transition the discussed cycle of images and many other projects were created.

CYBERFEMINIST PERSPECTIVE

Inspired by VNS Matrix and Sadie Plant, moRgan B. Konopka celebrates technology as a tool of emancipation and fluidity of identity. Cis- and trans-female figures in images such as XX ≠ XY ≠ XO ≠ XXY ≠ XYY (with a tennis racket) or Plato… (with a cigar) create sisterly communities, deconstructing binary gender norms. Titles like Amelia, Shall I Wash Your Little Bird? or Your Phallus – My Friend ironically undermine patriarchal stereotypes, while technologies—camera (Plato…), laptop (Amelia…), film (We Thought…) — amplify a cyberfeminist vision of liberated space where marginalized voices are amplified.

Chromosome sequences (XX, XY, XO, XXY, XYY) reject biological determinism, pointing to the editability of life. The viola represents traditional expression, the racket—dynamism and readiness for cooperation. Five-pointed stars on blouses connect esoteric harmony of the five transformations (Wu Xing) with identity transformation. Inscriptions: “Karyotype,” “Woman,” “Man” deconstruct gender as a construct.

The “Plato” bottle refers to philosophy and negotiation of humanity. Cigars, traditionally male, in the hands of a trans woman deconstruct gender. The act of photographing is a performative medium shaping narratives. Organic reeds in the digital background connect nature with technology, symbolizing hybrid consciousness. They also symbolize tertiary sexual characteristics—body hair.

The cave: As an organic space of transformation, it refers to initiation myths and femininity, but combined with technology, it becomes a symbol of the birth of posthuman identity. The chip represents augmentation and integration with the machine. The cave symbolizes femininity and the birth of new identity.

Brain scans and X-rays symbolize mind redesign and indicate medical intervention in consciousness. The dress with a cartoon ironizes pop culture, while the laptop on which Amelia (programmer) works points to the presence of the digital world and abstract registers of the mind. The title ironically deconstructs phallocentrism, proposing tender support and care. The creative bond of the figures emphasizes over-gender community.

Red asphalt is a ritual pathway of passage and recognition of identity. Blister packs with hormones represent medical autonomy. Pizza contrasts everyday life with existential change. The kneeling gesture connects spirituality with technology.

Furry tails symbolize animalistic authenticity and posthuman hybridity. Film is an emotional archive and technological extension of memory. Red dunes evoke blood and erotica, while root veins—rootedness in emotions. The title from Haruki Murakami celebrates happiness as resistance to patriarchy.

Background of digital “data gates” deconstructs gender binary in an act of friendship. Silicone penis and crystal egg with helix symbolize gender fluidity, genetic determinants, and life as negotiation. Digital data reduce intimacy to numbers, provoking bioethical questions. Five-pointed stars on torsos connect Eastern esotericism Wu Xing, harmony of five transformations, pointing to transformation. The gesture of jointly holding the phallus celebrates equality and dialogue. The title of the image “Your Phallus – My Friend” acts like a semantic detonator — a charge that deconstructs the traditional sexual-cultural order and opens it to a radically new understanding of body, relationships, and identity.