The Way We’re Not brings together thirty artists whose practices revel in the dissonance between what we see, what we sense, and what we imagine. Across a wide span of media, these artists probe a visual culture increasingly shaped by virtual perception. Their works stage encounters between the tangible and the intangible, often putting the art object at odds with itself, and questioning how digital interfaces, simulated environments, and mediated experiences infiltrate our understanding of ourselves and the world. Familiar forms appear estranged, and estrangement becomes an observational tool when considering the works together.

Amid this heightened instability, ritual and repetition emerge as grounding forces. Analog processes such as mark-making, weaving, casting, and collecting become practices of self-care and repair. These gestures counter the hyper-speed of digital production/productivity, creating pockets of slowness where meaning accrues through rhythm rather than efficiency.

In a culture consumed by the concept of self-optimization, the idea that identity is not a fixed destination is an act of rebellion. When our time and our attention spans can be weaponized against us, the studio becomes a place of resistance.​