PRESS RELEASE June 2006

e-motive: Visual Poetry in the Digital Age

15^th June – 6^th July

Opening Reception: Friday 16^th June   6 - 9pm

The University Gallery                                                                 

University of Essex

Wivenhoe Park

Colchester  CO4 3SQ

Opening hours:

Monday to Friday 11am - 5pm, Saturdays 1 - 4.30pm

Admissions: Free

Visual Poetry Exhibition

e-motive is the first UK exhibition of computer-generated visual poetry, showcasing a variety of works by international artists based in Argentina, Brazil, Canada, the United Kingdom and the United States.

The featured works have been created through computer software, allowing for experimentation in digital imaging, animation, electronic sound and holography. The aural, visual, animated and interactive qualities of these exhibits give an insight into a medium of poetry in which electronics push visual poetry’s boundaries.

Visual poetry is a medium that explores the tension between the semantics and the visuality of written language. In each piece words, letters or symbols are treated as primary material, enriched by the dynamic nature and physical possibilities of technology.

The selected artworks will range from prints and projections to those displayed on computer monitors, all of which will be set in a dimly lit space, immersing the viewer in a theatrical experience. 

In short, e-motive aims to reveal the latest experiments in visual poetry and draw the viewer’s attention to a practice that has received little exposure in the visual arts arena. It will challenge the viewer’s perceptions of poetry, as words are no longer static but set free on the page/screen, demanding the viewer to think anew.

Artists include: Jim Andrews, Giselle Beiguelman, Ladislao Pablo Gyori, Eduardo Kac, Robert Kendall, María Mencía, Ana María Uribe, Brian Kim Stefans and Nico Vassilakis.

Curated by MA Gallery Studies Students: Laura Carnicero, Lydia Gordon, Elina Leventaki and Caroline Sones.

An illustrated catalogue published by Palladian Press accompanies the exhibition complete with information on the artists and their works, articles by the curators and an essay exclusively written by Professor Johanna Drucker (Robertson Professor of Media Studies at the University of Virginia, USA).

The exhibition will be complemented by a free and exciting events programme designed for visitors of all ages.

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