Curated by Karen Henry.
David Rokeby (Toronto) is a technological philosopher. In
his work he is keenly aware of the “ambiguous and irresolvable”
nature of humanity and its relationship to the “absolutely
arbitrary space of binary information.” He is interested
in the way humans and machines mutually influence each other.
His art works engage the viewer both physically and conceptually
in a dialogue with technology. Rokeby will show the most recent
version of The Giver of Names in which the computer
identifies and describes objects put before it - a kind of
Mike Kelly meets R2D2 performance involving the assistance
of the viewer.
As
well, the installation Watch, in which a surveillance
camera brings outside images into the room, processing them
according to specific visual codes. The piece resonates with
debates of the image as evidence and is visually engaging.
Supported by Le Fondation Daniel Langlois, Montreal and the
Canada Council for the Arts. The catalogue will be co-published
by PHG and the Art Gallery of Hamilton.
