Artist Statement

Serpent Disco is an artistic exploration that intertwines the sinuous dance of belief, technology, and the physical manifestations of our faith. This project delves into the complex relationship between two pivotal systems that have shaped human interaction and societal organization: religious places of worship and the modern electrical internet grid. At the heart of this exploration is a detailed map of San Francisco, a city emblematic of technological advancement and spiritual diversity. This map serves as a guide, tracing the coalescence of these two systems – the sacred spaces where communities have traditionally congregated to share beliefs, and the sprawling, unseen network of the internet infrastructure that underpins our digital era.

In Serpent Disco, photography plays an important role, capturing the symbolic and literal convergence of these two systems. These images reveal a synthesis: the electrical grid, with its 'holy sites' of limited access yet universal influence, and places of worship, now inextricably linked to the internet, using it for communication, streaming of sermons, outreach, and operational necessity. This project invites viewers to contemplate the interplay and mutual function of these systems, illustrating how they shape our communal and individual identities or beliefs.

San Francisco, the focal point of this study, represents a historical and cultural culmination. The westward expansion of Christian America, symbolized by the ubiquitous telephone pole – reminiscent of the Christian cross – laid the groundwork for what would become Silicon Valley. This expansion not only physically transformed the landscape but also culturally, absorbing or overshadowing indigenous practices like the Hopi's Serpent Ritual. This project examines how these historical roots have evolved into the dominant cyber-lifestyle of 21st-century America.

Serpent Disco challenges the notion of the internet as an ethereal, non-physical realm. It underscores the physicality of being online – a journey across vast, tangible infrastructures carrying human thoughts, beliefs, and souls. This project is an invitation to reflect on the intertwined systems of belief and technology, and how they continue to shape our world. It's a dance of snakes, wires, and faith – a Serpent Disco that we all partake in, knowingly or not.



- Cooper Graham Beckel