"If We Were in a Parallel World of Dystopia" is a contemporary prints and illustrations exhibition curated by Aung MYAT HTAY (ACC 2013).

A parallel world, also known as an alternate universe or parallel universe, is a hypothetical universe that exists simultaneously with our own but is separate and independent. These worlds, often a plot device in fiction, can be near copies of ours with minor differences in history or laws of physics, or entirely fantastical realms. The concept is explored in scientific theories like the Many-Worlds Interpretation of quantum mechanics, which suggests that every quantum decision causes the universe to split into multiple branches.

“IF WE WERE IN A PARALLEL WORLD OF DYSTOPIA,” a haunting and graphically intense exhibition that charts the obsessive and terrifying landscapes of societies gone awry. Featuring the works of new contemporary artists, this collection utilizes the stark, narrative force of printmaking (etchings, screen-prints, linocuts) and illustration (pen-and-ink, digital illustration, graphic novel panels) to build a compelling visual archive of hypothetical tyrannical regimes.

The concept hinges on the idea of a "parallel world" rather than a predictive future. By framing the setting as an alternative reality, the artists are freed from the constraints of pure science fiction, allowing them to draw from historical injustices, contemporary politics, and universal fears of AI. The artworks presented will act as visual artifacts from these non-existent worlds, showcasing their unsettling architecture, the desperate lives of their inhabitants, and the propaganda that keeps the system running.