If you ask a Gen Z teenager what comes first to mind when they think of the 1980s, there is a very likely chance that they will respond with elements such as: synth and pop music, neon lights, cassette tapes and most importantly, Stranger Things. But how can a generation that has absolutely no connection to that decade have such an emotional attachment to it?
The Hyperreal Hustle: Why You Can't Trust Your Senses Anymore
In the neon-drenched, digital landscape of Grimes’ “Shinigami Eyes,” the boundary between what’s real and what’s artificial is gone. This music video is the perfect way to understand the simulacrum, which is essentially a “generation by models of a real without origin or reality”. We’ve officially moved into the era of the hyperreal, where the line between the real world and the imaginary one has vanished, leaving us to question our own senses.
COMING UP: 31/03/26
Why the Stateside Music Video Hits the Right Spot
After an exploding 2024, it seemed no one was coming to save pop music in 2025. Sure, there were some hits here and there and we were still riding off the high of Brat (2024) or the Sabrina Carpenter’s Short ‘n’ Sweet tour, but nothing was sticking like it had the year prior. Little did we know the best was to come at the very end of 2025.
COMING UP: 07/04/26
Arts, Policy, Gen Z Conference
The “Arts, Policy, Gen Z” conference will take place on the 21st and 22nd of May, 2026. It serves as a platform aiming at creating dialogue between youth, researchers, policy makers and institutions, in order to address the gaps in the understanding and practice of the arts and culture in the context of a digitized, platformed and fragmented society.
Location
21/05/2026: De Noorderlingen, Bloemsingel 10 B, 9712 KZ Groningen
22/05/2026: House of Connections, Grote Markt 21, 9712 HR Groningen
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