Programme_Alt-w | Artifacts of Life

Alt-w Exhibition Award - Eena Daou
layerframe.co

2nd April to 1st June 2024. FREE
Music Hall, Union Street, Aberdeen AB10 1QS

Ancient folklore around the world infer that everything has a spirit or essence. The Romans named the protective spirit of a place, Genus Loci. In Scotland many bodies of water were worshipped as deities. In Aberdeen, the River Dee's name was derived from the word ‘deva’, meaning goddess but what spirits lie beneath the surface of our waters now?

The aquatic spirits in Eena Daou's generative animation have surfaced from the 21st Century crucible of artificial intelligence, ever spawning new folklore. Less malevolent than Scotland's fabled shape-shifting Kelpie, these equally alluring chimera are based on the Betta, a colourful, freshwater ray-finned fish. Better be warned though.

Co-curated by Aberdeen Performing Arts and New Media Scotland’s Alt-w Fund with investment from Creative Scotland.