Carbon Meets Silicon: an exhibition exploring artist’s relationship to internet technologies and applications

 

Date: 8-11 September 2015

 

Location: Oriel Sycharth Gallery, Glyndwr University, Wrexham

 

Exhibiting artists: Cerys Alonso, Andrew Bracey, Steve Carrick, William Card, Simon Hall, Lesley Halliwell, Rory Hickford, Paul Jones, Coryn Smethurst, Andrew Lowe-Smith, Ian McArthur, Guy Mayman, Annie Morrad, Susan Liggett, John McClenaghen, Estelle Thompson, Jill Townsely, Tracy Piper-Wright and Jonathan Weinel.

 

Research Team: Richard Pick, Professor of Human-Computer Interaction, Glyndwr University; Rae Earnshaw, Professor of Creative Industries, Glyndwr University;  Estelle Thompson, Professor of Art and Design, Glyndwr Universtiy

 

Funders & Supporters:  Supported by Glyndwr University

 

This exhibition is in association with ITA(15), the 6th International Conference on Internet Technologies and Applications. www.ita15.net. 

 

The conference will draw together researchers and developers from academia and industry across all fields of Internet computing, engineering and art and design. 

 

The inspiration for the title of the exhibition comes from the work of Alan Turing and his exploration of artificial intelligence versus cognitive psychology. The key questions surrounding whether thoughts and consciousness can be produced by a mechanical systems have fascinated computer scientists, mathematicians, cognitive psychologists and artists since the 1950’s. Many thought that the difference between these two fields was concerned with whether the mechanical system in question was carbon based brain or silicon based computer (Sternberg, R.J. and Kaufman, J, C. (2013). How do we begin to explore these questions? According to Michael Polanyi (1962) ‘aesthetic insight motivates the early stages of much scientific research’. The exhibition offers tacit knowledge embodied in the artwork that questions to various degrees the above and explores the concept of carbon and silicon as metaphors for the changing face of art practice over the last fifty years. Carbon references the materiality of the art object, the tradition of art materials such as paint, bronze etc. and silicon references how this materiality is questioned in the light of new media utilizing the digital or the virtual bringing artists closer to scientists and engineers. When carbon meets silicon it creates silicon carbide, a compound that exists as artificial diamonds and star dust, a transformative process that is akin to the alchemy of making art.

                                                                                                                     

Artwork in the exhibition explores a range of working practices including video installation, film, printmaking, painting, jewellery and sound installation. Artists included range from the internationally significance to early career artists, academics and recent graduates. 

 

It includes: Cerys Alonso, Andrew Bracey, Steve Carrick, William Card, Simon Hall, Lesley Halliwell, Rory Hickford, Paul Jones, Coryn Smethurst, Andrew Lowe-Smith, Ian McArthur, Guy Mayman, Annie Morrad, Susan Liggett, John McClenaghen, Estelle Thompson, Jill Townsely, Tracy Piper-Wright and Jonathan Weinel.

 

The exhibition has been curated by Dr Susan Liggett

 

 

References:

 

Sternberg, RJ, and Kaufman, J, C. (2013) The Evolution of Intelligences, Psychology Press.
Polanyi, M. (1962) Personal Knowledge: towards a post critical philosophy. London Routledge