AUTOMATA - ART MADE BY MACHINES FOR MACHINES was the theme of the 3rd International Biennial of Digital Art. It evokes the idea of singularity, or the moment when machines, in the broadest sense, will be as (or more) intelligent than humans. Artificial intelligence will certainly enable life to be prolonged but it is also likely that machines will be the next step in our evolution. Yet will machines have the artistic sensitivity necessary for shared aesthetics?
Dyforme by Paolo Almario stages the overthrow of man by machine. Photomosaic portraits, with 4 800 pictorial elements, representing historical figures from computer science and cybernetics are dismantled one by one, one element at a time, by the machine.
Dyforme (2013) by Paolo AlmarioELEKTRA
The Value of Art (2012) by Christa Sommerer & Laurent MignonneauELEKTRA
The Value of Art, by Christa Sommerer and Laurent Mignonneau deals with the attention economy and value creation in the world of art. The painting is equipped with sensors that measure the exact time visitors spend in front of it. The value increases as more visitors admire it.
NIHIL EX NIHILO (THE DIALOGUE) (2011) by FÉLIX LUQUE SÁNCHEZELEKTRA
Nihil Ex Nihilo (The Dialogue) by Felix Luque Sánchez is an installation of 8 giant size alphanumeric displays that reproduce messages generated by an algorithm in reply to received spam.
Compound Eyes (2008) by Graham CaldwellELEKTRA
Compound Eyes by Graham Caldwell is a sculpture that evokes the feeling of being watched. Multiple mirrors observe overlapping spaces, not unlike the security cameras that surveil empty streets and deserted passageways.
FACING DESIGN N°1 AVEC JEU DE MASQUE EN RÉALITÉ AUGMENTÉE FACING DESIGN N°5 AVEC COROLLE EN RÉALITÉ AUGMENTÉE FACING DESIGN N°8 AVEC SALTO EN RÉALITÉ AUGMENTÉE FACING DESIGN N°10 AVEC HIP HOP EN RÉALITÉ AUGMENTÉE (2014) by ORLANELEKTRA
ORLAN continues with her engaged "self-hybridations" work by presenting a new series with masks from the Beijing Opera. [From left to right] Facing Design N.1, Facing Design N.5, Facing Design N. 8, Facing Design N. 10.
FACING DESIGN N°1 AVEC JEU DE MASQUE EN RÉALITÉ AUGMENTÉE FACING DESIGN N°5 AVEC COROLLE EN RÉALITÉ AUGMENTÉE FACING DESIGN N°8 AVEC SALTO EN RÉALITÉ AUGMENTÉE FACING DESIGN N°10 AVEC HIP HOP EN RÉALITÉ AUGMENTÉE (2014) by ORLANELEKTRA
Moving Objects (2016) by Pe LangELEKTRA
Positioning Systems VI (2016) by Pe LangELEKTRA
Calf, Red Snake (2009) by Kim JoonELEKTRA
Calf and Red Snake by Kim Joon is about the relationship of body and tattoo, a cultural and legal taboo in South Korea. Joon's recent work uses traditional motifs as reminders of traditional culture and values.
Loops of Relation (2013) by Nelmarie du PreezELEKTRA
For the series Loops of Relation, Nelmarie de Preez established a collective named "Du Preez/Gui" consisting of herself and her computer, where they stand as equal actors in a performance-based artistic collaboration.
CT_T-01 (2016) by Sébastien LacomblezELEKTRA
CT_t-01 by Sébastien Lacomblez is a series of tapestry based on a cellular automata system of Conus Textiles composed by a custom-made algorithm.
La tombe de Nefertiti (2015) by Philippe InternosciaELEKTRA
The Tomb of Nefertiti by Philippe Internoscia is a visual collage and 3D animation of different cultures, addressing post-colonial theories on orientalism, power, and otherness.
BIAN 2016 - AUTOMATA (2020) by ELEKTRAELEKTRA
From left to right: The Tomb of Nefertiti by Philippe Internoscia, ][LIMINAL][ by Kenny Wong and Marco de Mutiis, Uterus-Man and Delusional Mandala by LuYang
Delusional Mandala (2015) by LuYangELEKTRA
Uterus-Man and Delusional Mandala by LuYang. Uterus-Man is an androgynous figure whose superpower lies in the ability of their uterus to reproduce. In Delusional Mandala, LuYang explores neuroscience to create a digital, asexual human simulation to his image.
DAY 2501 (2016) by A Normal Working DayELEKTRA
By creating immersive installations like Day 2501, the collective A Normal Working Day develops a multidisciplinary approach through the use of different media.
The Ways of Folding Space and Flying (2015) by Moon Kyungwon & Jeon JoonhoELEKTRA
The Ways of Folding Space and Flying by Moon Kuyngwon and Jeon Joonho is a multi-channel film installation exploring an archaeological quest into human civilization that interweaves history with visions of the future as told through a future-retrospective narrative.
The Ways of Folding Space and Flying (2015) by Moon Kyungwon & Jeon JoonhoELEKTRA
DÉJÀ ENTENDU | AN OPERA AUTOMATON (2015) by Lukas TrunigerELEKTRA
The installation An Opera Automaton, by Lukas Truniger, is based on texts and melodies collected from operas narrating the myth of Faust - the epic tale about the limits of human curiosity. 102 screens and speakers are arranged in repetitive patterns creating an emergent space.
What do machines sing of? (2015) by Martin BackesELEKTRA
What do Machines Sing Of? asks Martin Backes' fully automated machine, that sings pop hits from the 1990s on a loop. As the computer program performs these emotionally charged songs, it attempts to reproduce the appropriate human sentiment.
BIAN 2016 - AUTOMATA (2020) by ELEKTRAELEKTRA
Trackpad, US drone strikes, Yemen 2014, raw canvas, electronic device, 170x350cm, 2015, by Jean Benoit Lallemant, transmits the points of impact of a remote-controlled war onto the canvas, thus altering the two-dimensionality of the work but leaving no trace.
Eternity by Nicolas Baier is a sculpture with a commanding presence, an ondulating curtain of mirror-finish stainless steel rising ten feet from the floor. It hides a message in plain sight: the word Eternity spelled out in classic cursive.
Portrait (2016) by Minha YangELEKTRA
Serial Mutations (modulus) by Matthew Biederman is part of a series in which he explores the dichotomy between the screen as space and surface. This piece abstracts the perception of pictorial depth and perspective through the use of color, luminance, light and plane.
Watching and dreaming (2001: A Space Odyssey) (Version 1) (2014) by Ben BogartELEKTRA
In Ben Bogart's Watching and Dreaming (2001: A Space Odissey) (version 1) the visual world as presented in Stanley Kubrick's 2001: A Space Odissey (1986) inspires a machine to generate a continuous flow of imagery where past, present, bizarre and plausible images are juxtaposed.
BIAN 2016: AUTOMATA - ART MADE BY MACHINES FOR MACHINES
Held at Arsenal Contemporary Art (Montreal), June 3 to July 3, 2016
Guest country: Switzerland
Curators:
Alain Thibault, Artistic Director of ELEKTRA - BIAN (CA)
Ana Ascencio, Art Director Mapping Festival Geneva (CH)
DooEun Choi, Independent curator (KR)
Gilles Avarez, Art Director Nemo Biennale Paris (FR)
All photos and video: Gridspace
with animations by: Baillat Studio
Partners:
Conseil des arts et des lettres du Québec
Gouvernement du Québec
Canada Council for the Arts
Conseil des arts de Montréal
Ville de Montréal
Canadian Heritage
Pro Helvetia - Fondation suisse pour la culture
Fédération Wallonie-Bruxelles
Swissnex
Ville de Genève
Goethe Institut
Consulat de France à Montréal
Filaction - Fonds de développement
