Press
Press release: Monstrous Machines (UK)
May 7 - July 10, 2021 at ARoS Public.
Radar Contemporary: Amalie Smith, Andreas Refsgaard, Black Quantum Futurism, Diana Velasco, Ida Kvetny, Kristoffer Ørum, Lawrence Lek, Morehshin Allahyari, Stephanie Dinkins, and Uffe Isolotto.
Radar Contemporary presents works by Danish and international artists under the theme of Monstrous Machines, investigating why technology creates a frightening affect and how it impacts our perception of technology. Exactly this fear of technology causes humans in Lawrence Lek’s futurist film AIDOL 爱 道 to hold on to their superiority by banning artificial intelligences from making art. Meanwhile, by installing electromagnetic pick-ups within body parts of a 3D-printed signal crayfish Kristoffer Ørum compares our fears of the digital transformation and invasive species.
The fear that machines will surpass our abilities and dominate us has made the monstrous machine an archetype in theatre plays, visual art, and literature for centuries. The word monster can be traced back to the Latin word monstrare, meaning to show and gather. Thus, monsters can be understood as creatures who cross borders and assemble opposing parts. Consequently, a number of the works show how monsters’ blur of categories is useful when challenging our perception of ourselves and technology. This becomes evident in Uffe Isolotto’s work amplifying the sensory areas we extend into the digital field. Likewise, Amalie Smith’s woven work Hypertextile III fuses hands with plants and an algorithm, and the collective Black Quantum Futurism instruct black people in recoding their bodies to oppose a Western temporality on the website Black Womxn Temporal Portal.
The monstrous is thus not necessarily negative. This is also evident in Morehshin Allahyari's work She Who Sees the Unknown: Ya'jooj Ma’jooj, in which she shows Muslims as monstrously alienated, but resignifies it as a strength. Meanwhile, the robot Bina48 in Stephanie Dinkins’ video work sneeringly state that those people who take her feelings for granted are monsters, turning the image of the monstrous machine versus the innocent human upside down.
Lately, the mechanical monster has taken on a new form. In Andreas Refsgaard’s video work, an algorithm analyzes stills from decades of sci-fi movies. Here, it becomes clear how the last century’s metal robots have been replaced by androids or artificial intelligences so close to us that they provoke doubt about their being. Since we today have become so familiar and deeply connected with digital technologies, it is relevant to see how the horror has changed and reconsider how new monstrosities appear. For example, women with tubes connected to their bodies frequent Ida Kvetny’s VR universe, and 3D-scanned portraits in Diana Velasco’s textile works remind us how facial recognition is gaining ground in our lives.
The works are shown at ARoS’ communication centre, ARoS Public’s areas on the third floor and is extended virtually with a parallel online exhibition www.radarcontemporary.com/extensionsvol3. Monstrous Machines is curated by Ida Schyum and is the third presentation in the series Extensions by Radar Contemporary. Radar Contemporary is an artist-driven exhibition platform for art focusing on new technology. Read more about the three shows and the exhibition platform in their newly published book Radar Contemporary: Extensions vol I II III written by Dr. Omar Kholeif and art historian Ida Schyum.
Online screening: May 7- July 10, 2021 www.radarcontemporary.com
For further information about the presentation please visit: www.radarcontemporary.com
Contact: info@radarartagency.com / phone +45 26964993
Press material including photos download here
Extensions vol III kindly supported by:
Pressemeddelelse: Monstrøse Maskiner (DK)
7.maj - 10.juli 2021 i formidlingscentret ARoS Public
Radar Contemporary: Amalie Smith, Andreas Refsgaard, Black Quantum Futurism, Diana Velasco, Ida Kvetny, Kristoffer Ørum, Lawrence Lek, Morehshin Allahyari, Stephanie Dinkins og Uffe Isolotto.
Under temaet Monstrøse Maskiner præsenterer udstillingsplatformen Radar Contemporary danske og internationale kunstneres værker, som reflekterer over, hvorfor vi ofte er bange for ny teknologi, og hvordan det præger vores teknologiopfattelse. I Lawrence Leks futuristiske film AIDOL 爱 道 får frygten for ny teknologi menneskene til at forbyde kunstige intelligenser at lave kunst. Alt imens har Kristoffer Ørum installeret en elektromagnetisk pick-up i en 3D-printet signalkrebseklo for at sammenligne vores frygt for den digitale transformation og invasive arter.
Frygten for at teknologi vil overgå vores evner og dominere os, har gjort den monstrøse maskine til en arketype i både teater, billedkunst og litteratur gennem århundreder. Ordet monster kan spores tilbage til det latinske ord monstrare, der betyder at vise og samle. Monstre kan altså forstås som skabninger, der krydser grænser og samler modsatte dele. Derfor peger flere af værkerne på, at monstres udviskning af kategorier er brugbart til at udfordre vores opfattelse af os selv og teknologi med. Det illustrerer Uffe Isolotto i sit værk Phantom Limbs ved at forstørre de sanseområder, som vi forlænger ind i den digitale sfære. Ligeledes sammenvikler Amalie Smiths vævede værk Hypertextile III hænder, algoritmer og planter, imens kollektivet Black Quantum Futurism instruerer sorte mennesker i at omkode deres kroppe for at modsætte sig en vestlig tidsforståelse på hjemmesiden Black Womxn Temporal Portal.
Det monstrøse er derved ikke altid negativt. Det bliver også tydeligt i Morehshin Allahyaris værk She Who Sees the Unknown: Ya'jooj Ma’jooj. Her viser hun, hvordan muslimer bliver monstrøst fremmedgjorte, men omdanner det til en styrke. Samtidig snerrer robotten Bina48 i Stephanie Dinkins’ videoværk, at de mennesker, der tager hendes følelser for givet, er monstre, og vender dermed billedet på det uskyldige menneske overfor den monstrøse maskine på hovedet.
I løbet af seneste år har den monstrøse maskine taget en ny form. Det kan man se i Andreas Refgaards videoværk, hvor en algoritme analyserer stilbilleder fra adskillige årtiers sci-fi film. Faretruende metalrobotter fra det forrige århundrede er erstattet af senmoderne androider og kunstig intelligenser, hvis menneskelige lighedstræk fremkalder en tvivl om deres væren. I takt med at vi blevet uendeligt forbunde med digital teknologi i vores daglige liv, er det derfor blevet relevant at se på, om frygten for teknologi har ændret sig og overveje, hvordan nye monstrøsiteter vokser frem. Eksempelvis frekventerer kvinder med rør forbundet til deres kroppe Ida Kvetnys VR-univers, og i Diana Velascos tekstilværk påminder 3D-scannede portrætter os om, hvordan ansigtsgenkendelse vinder indpas i vores hverdagsliv.
Værkerne fremvises i ARoS’ formidlingscenter, ARoS Public, på tredje etage med en supplerende online udstilling på www.radarcontemporary.com/ extensionsvol3. Monstrøse Maskiner er kurateret af Ida Schyum og er den tredje præsentation i serien Extensions af Radar Contemporary. Radar Contemporary er en kunstnerdreven udstillingsplatform for kunst med fokus på ny teknologi. Læs mere om værkerne og udstillingsplatformen i den nyudgivne bog Radar Contemporary: Extensions vol I II III skrevet af Dr. Omar Kholeif og kunsthistoriker Ida Schyum.
Online screening 7. maj - 10. juli 2021 www.radarcontemporary.com
Pressemateriale
For yderligere information omkring visningen besøg venligst: www.radarcontemporary.com eller kontakt os via email info@radarartagency.com eller telefon +45 26964993
Pressemateriale inkl. billeder kan dowloades her.
Extensions vol III er venligst støttet af:
Presentation to Extensions vol III - Monstrous Machines by curator Ida Schyum