SATURDAY 18th of November saw the opening of the ‘humansbeingdigital’ art exhibition at the Lowry theatre in MediaCityUK.
This free to enter exhibition pulls together a selection of artworks that explore the links between humans, machines, and technology.
Using technology to create their ideas through sound, installation and sculpture, this display of artwork is much more aesthetically pleasing and interactive for a younger audience, than the Lowry’s traditional pieces.
An example of this can be found in the piece ‘Apocalypse’ by Thompson and Craighead, as what looks to be a simple bottle of luxury perfume has a much deeper explanation.
They created the scent based on unpleasant smells like blood, burning flesh, and rotting corpses, in order to provide a statement of the internet’s constant feed of negative news – free samples too of course.
The ‘Hipster Bar’, by Max Dovey, is another interesting vocal point of the exhibit, which uses a facial recognition scanner to measure how ‘hipster’ you are, by your facial features – with free juice if you land over 50%.
The results are based from people’s social media accounts, suggesting that society is very judgmental of every individual in the modern age, and that machines can determine where you belong.
Nye Thompson’s ‘Backdoored’ piece gives light to a dark matter of privacy online, using peoples unprotected camera footage from the internet, to show off how easy it is to be unsafe online.
The dark and gloomy atmosphere created by the artist makes you truly feel as though you are being watched, making you think about the dangers of the internet.
All the interesting backgrounds of the artwork are explained in detail by the guides and leaflets provided, as well as special talks on the dates below, potentially making you think further into the digital world.
Hayley Johnson, Exhibition Guide at the Lowry, told me that she prompts people of all ages to visit and find out more about the deeper meanings behind these works of art.
“The digital artwork explores the collision between humans and machines, provoking both emotional and physical responses.
“In this modern post digital world these pieces show how contemporary art differs from traditional styles, but also how they compare in many ways too.
Great evening at the launch for #humansbeingdigital exhibition @The_Lowry pic.twitter.com/jHB7VtXEPa
— Alice Mathews (@AliceMathews_) November 16, 2017
“We understand that the visual effect of the digital art appeals to a younger audience, but would encourage anyone to visit and ask questions about why technology is used in contemporary art this way.”
Do we rely too heavily on digital technology?
— Tom Court (@TomCourt9) November 22, 2017
The Lowry are holding many different events this holiday season, such as theatre performances of ‘ELF’ and ‘The Gruffalo’, as well as musical performances and family activities that begin as early as Friday 24th of November.
For more information, visit the Lowry website on this link: https://www.thelowry.com/
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