Hunting the internet
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We hear from Evan Roth, an American artist based in Paris whose practice visualises and archives culture through unintended uses of technologies.
In New Zealand for Semi-Permanent, Roth will be talking about his search for inspiration in the current state of the Internet. He says it involves stepping away from the screen and exploring the remote locations where the Internet physically passes through the land.
While in Auckland, he will be taking infrared photography and readings from various ghost hunting technologies on the beaches where the submarine fibre optic cables come ashore.
At his workshop he will help participants assemble their own DIY internet hunting devices, to search for the energy trapped in the network.
Creating prints, sculptures, videos and websites, his work explores the relationship between misuse and empowerment and the effect that philosophies from hacker communities can have when applied to digital and non-digital systems.
Roth's work is in the permanent collection of the Museum of Modern Art NYC and has been exhibited at various institutions, including the Centre Pompidou, the Kunsthalle Wien, the Tate and the front page of Youtube. He has received numerous awards, including the Golden Nica from Prix Ars Electronica, Rhizome/The New Museum commissions and the Smithsonian's Cooper-Hewitt National Design Award.
Roth also co-founded the arts organizations Graffiti Research Lab and the Free Art & Technology Lab.
His notable projects include L.A.S.E.R. Tag and LED Throwies (Graffiti Research Lab), White Glove Tracking, EyeWriter, Graffiti Analysis and a collaboration with Jay-Z on the first open source rap video.
During what hours of the day do you feel most inspired?
Morning shower.
What aspect of your creative practice gives you the biggest thrill?
The research phase.
How does your environment affect your work?
As long as the wifi signal is strong my environment has very little affect on my work.
What's your number one business tip for surviving (and thriving) in the creative industries?
Being an artist is a long hustle.
Which of your projects to date has given you the most satisfaction?
Typically the most recent one (at any given time).
Who or what has inspired you recently?
The Henry Darger exhibition at Musee d'Art Moderne in Paris. It's inspiring to see someone make deeply personal art for 40 years with no interest or need for external validation.
Tell us a bit about your creative background.
Skateboarder turned architect turned artist.
Tell us about some of your recent and upcoming projects?
I'll be taking infrared photography and readings from various ghost hunting technologies on the beaches surrounding Auckland where the submarine fiber optic cables come ashore.
What are you talking about at SemiP?
I'll be talking about my search for inspiration in the current state of the Internet, which involves stepping away from the screen and exploring the remote locations where the Internet physically passes through the land.
Tell us about your workshop Hunting for the Internet.
We will be building custom designed open source ghost hunting technologies based on computer controlled radio frequency scanning.
If you could go back and choose a completely different career path to the one you've chosen, what would it be?
Musician
What's the best stress relief advice you've ever been given?
Understand that worse case scenarios usually aren't that bad.
What’s great about Semi-Permanent?
The wide spectrum of creativity that allows me (and my Internet/ghost hunting technologies) to intermingle with everything from footwear design to hand lettering.
What’s your big idea for 2015?
That technologies designed for finding “disembodied human energy” (e.g. ghost hunting devices) will help me re-find the Internet.
- Semi-Permanent Auckland 2015 is on July 3-4. Evan Roth's workshop Hunting for the Internet is on July 6.