Artistic take on technology coming to Statesboro Campus’ Contemporary Gallery
Digital and physical worlds will collide this fall when Sphere’s “Here be Dragons” art exhibit comes to the Contemporary Gallery at the Center for Art & Theatre on Georgia Southern’s Statesboro Campus from Sept. 24 to Oct. 26.
There will also be an artist talk with Sphere on Monday, Oct. 15 from 5 to 6 p.m. in room 2071 of the Arts Building. A reception will follow at the Center for Art & Theatre from 6 to 7:30 p.m.
Sphere is an artist collective made up of Chris Wille and Brian Patrick Franklin whose work often explores the relationship between virtual and tangible objects.
“Here be Dragons” is made up of digital and mixed-media work and addresses security and privacy in our electronic era. The artwork approaches the role and function of the Tor network, an important tool for maintaining anonymity on the internet, from varying angles seeking to give a physical and emotional presence to the activity traveling through the network.
“As data has come to play an increasingly outsized role in our culture and as issues surrounding privacy and surveillance have come to the forefront of public awareness, it’s important that these issues are explored not only by technically-oriented people, but from a creative standpoint as well,” Gallery Director Jason Hoelscher said. “Many of these issues are remarkably abstract and difficult to engage on a human level, so I look forward to seeing how the Sphere collective approaches these issues and renders them visible.”
Wille and Franklin both have Master of Fine Arts degrees and are professors at Eureka College and Illinois State University, respectively. Sphere’s work has been on display at prominent festivals, in traditional galleries and at conferences including The World Maker Faire in New York City, The Digital Games Research Association Annual Summit in Salt Lake City and at Northwestern University’s Dittmar Memorial Gallery in Evanston, Illinois.
Georgia Southern University, a public Carnegie Doctoral/Research institution founded in 1906, offers 141 degree programs serving more than 27,000 students through nine colleges on three campuses in Statesboro, Savannah, Hinesville and online instruction. A leader in higher education in southeast Georgia, the University provides a diverse student population with expert faculty, world-class scholarship and hands-on learning opportunities. Georgia Southern creates lifelong learners who serve as responsible scholars, leaders and stewards in their communities. Visit GeorgiaSouthern.edu.
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