Curated by Karen Henry

David Rokeby 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.

The exhibition will include two recent works; the most recent version of The Giver of Names and Watch. The Giver of Names computer identifies and describes objects put before it - a kind of Mike Kelly meets R2D2 performance involving the assistance of the viewer. Installed in the west gallery, Watch has a surveillance camera which brings outside images of the intersection of 3rd and Chesterfield Street into the room, processing them according to specific visual codes. The piece resonates with debates of the image as evidence and is visually engaging.

The exhibition is supported by Le Fondation Daniel Langlois, Montreal and the Canada Council for the Arts.

A catalogue was co-published in conjunction with the exhibition, by Presentation House Gallery and the Art Gallery of Hamilton.

Gallery Press Release

Artists Talk Press Release

Events

Jan 6, 10am – 1pm | Body Mind and Technology

The Technological Interface: Four Artists’ Approaches to Interactivity
David Rokeby, Char Davies, Daniel Jolliffe, Janice Kerbal. Moderator: Carol Gigliotti

Jan 27, 10am – 1pm | Dot Tuer: Disembodied States: Vision, The Body and Virtuality at the Segal Center, Simon Fraser University, Downtown