Screen Time

Please note: As a proactive measure to protect community and staff health and safety in relation to COVID-19, the Counihan Gallery in Brunswick will be closed until 31 March. We sincerely apologise for the inconvenience and disappointment caused by the closure. 

It is unsettling to think that while we watch screens, they quietly watch back at us. Our interactions feed data to hungry tech giants, whose targeted advertising and helpful suggestions seem harmless enough. However, public spaces are also increasingly encroached upon, including security cameras using advanced algorithms with the intent of maintaining public order. We are often passive to this, ignoring the consequences for technology’s immediate convenience.

Bowes brings our 21st century to-and-fro with screens to the surface, reflecting the viewer back at themselves as his installations watch them within the gallery space. Disjointed and disfigured, recognisable but not representational – their mirrored surface creates a caricature of the viewer that can be equal parts captivating and disturbing.

• Chris Bowes

IMAGE: Chris Bowes. Tessellate, 2019 (detail). Computer, screens, cables, webcam and code. Dimensions variable. Image courtesy of the artist