Continuing with the theme of the rootedness of new technologies and the digital world in the material sphere, which is associated with the tactics of the extractive economy, and the exploitation and resourcification of the planet, Sabīne Šnē refers to a phrase from the mathematician Clive Humby: ‘Data is the new oil’. This phrase can be reflected in two dimensions: like oil, data underpins the modern economy and power structures; at the same time, this phrase suggests a picture of data as a crude material for extraction. All stages of producing data flow are related to indentured labour, geopolitical conflicts, depletion of resources and consequences stretching beyond human timescales.

Sabīne Šnē lives and works in Riga. In her creative practice, she constructs visual stories to explore the intersections between culture and nature, informed by historical and contemporary ideas. She is interested in the relationships and the interconnectedness between humans and nature. In her art, Šnē reflects on human habits, desires, traces of actions and their impact on the environment. In terms of mediums, the content of the work determines the result, but she usually works in digital media. She has participated in various group exhibitions and art projects in Latvia and abroad. In Winter 2022, she had her first solo show Partner, Parasite at KIM? Contemporary Art Centre, Rīga.