Ex Machina, Canberra Contemporary Art Space
Nicci Haynes, Brian McNamara, Stelarc, Pia Van Gelder, Arthur Wicks, curated by Alexander Boynes
15th September - 11 November 2017
In an age that increasingly exists online and in virtual spaces, Ex Machina invites viewers to consider the role of the physical machine as an artwork, to be experienced through immediate contact. Ex Machina, Latin for "from the machine" refers to the Greek theatrical practice of lowering an actor performing as God from a crane to resolve a dramatic conflict from above the stage, as it were to from the heavens. While far from godly, artists often have an innate ability to rise above a situation and survey the lie of the land, or forecast what may be on the horizon.
One of the biggest challenges facing bricks and mortar museums and galleries in the 21st Century is their ability to compete with digital platforms. Unlike physical spaces that require increasing real estate costs, staffing requirements and limited opening hours, the Internet never shuts. Online galleries, artist websites, and a plethora of social media platforms such as Instagram, Facebook and Twitter mean we constantly have art at our fingertips – or so we believe. With the exception of web-based art, even the most two-dimensional of artworks cannot be faithfully represented. For example, does the work have texture, sheen, or is it so matte it sucks in light? After all, even the most sophisticated of virtual reality simulators are only visual representations, and rob the viewer of the subtleties of scent, immersive soundscapes, taste (albeit a rarity in the contemporary art world) and the bête noire of the white cube - touch. We live in the age in which we’ve seen it all, but in the pursuit of artistic all-knowingness, have we forgotten the need to experience art it in its actual state?
In part, Ex Machina is a response to this question, and explores the tip of contemporary Australian kinetic artwork, and how the machine can function not only as a tool, but as an artwork in its own right. In order for these artworks to be completed, they require human interaction, and most of all, to be touched.
