Exhibition: My Veins Are the Wires, My Body Is Your Keyboard

Jun 3

Written By DAB

Exhibition on view:
February 2nd — July 7th, 2024

Artist:
Auriea Harvey

Location:
Museum Of The Moving Image (MoMI)
36-01 35th Ave
Queens, NY

*Auriea Harvey: My Veins Are the Wires, My Body Is Your Keyboard is on view at MoMI*

The art world is in awe as My Veins Are the Wires, My Body Is Your Keyboard, the first major survey of pioneering internet-artist and sculptor Auriea Harvey, opens its doors to the public. The exhibition, organized by Regina Harsanyi, Associate Curator of Media Arts, and supported by the Terra Foundation for American Art, features over 40 of Harvey's works. Spanning over three decades of her career, the exhibition showcases her remarkable journey and enduring influence in the realm of digital and interactive art.

Auriea Harvey, born in Indianapolis in 1971 and now residing in Rome, has consistently pushed the creative boundaries of networked technologies since the 1990s. Her work is characterized by a profound understanding of the digital revolution's impact on human connection. From her early days creating web-based art to her current explorations in 3D design and augmented reality, Harvey's work encapsulates the paradoxical nature of computers: their ability to foster intimacy while simultaneously disrupting physical interaction and shared spaces.

The exhibition, curated with meticulous care by Harsanyi and featuring digital art conservation by Dragan Espenschied from Rhizome, highlights Harvey's diverse body of work. Visitors have the opportunity to experience her pioneering net-based interactive works, video games, and augmented-reality sculptures. This retrospective not only celebrates her artistic achievements but also underscores her role in redefining the intersections between art, technology, and human experience.

My Veins Are the Wires, My Body Is Your Keyboard is supported by an array of partners, including 4THBIN, Barco, bitforms gallery, and New York University's ITP / MIA program. Special thanks are extended to Auriea Harvey and her collaborator Michaël Samyn, whose contributions have been instrumental in bringing this exhibition to fruition. The exhibition also benefits from a Market New York grant from Empire State Development and I LOVE NY/New York State’s Division of Tourism, awarded through the Regional Economic Development Council initiative.

Harvey studied sculpture at Parsons School of Design before starting her career in New York. Her practice involves a wide range of media, blending digital and handmade production methods to create virtual and tangible sculptures, drawings, and simulations. She draws on her extensive experience with internet art and video games, particularly through collaborative groups like Entropy8Zuper!, Tale of Tales, and Song of Songs, to weave personal narratives and develop complex characters within her work.

Her works are part of prestigious collections, including those of the Buffalo AKG Museum, Walker Art Center, and Rhizome’s Net Art Anthology, as well as the Whitney Museum of American Art, where she exhibited her augmented reality sculpture alongside the physical sculpture as part of their show, Refigured. Harvey’s work has also been part of the brilliant virtual exhibition, CATALYST.

Internationally recognized, Harvey's video games and mixed reality works have been exhibited at renowned institutions such as the Tinguely Museum in Basel, the Victoria & Albert Museum in London, the New Museum in New York, and ZKM in Karlsruhe. She has received numerous accolades, including a Creative Capital grant and the Independent Games Festival Nuovo Award. Harvey is represented by bitforms gallery in New York City.

My Veins Are the Wires, My Body Is Your Keyboard is a must-see for anyone interested in the evolution of digital art and the ways in which technology continues to shape our world. The exhibition promises an immersive experience, offering a unique glimpse into the visionary mind of Auriea Harvey and her contributions to contemporary art.

Visit the exhibition through July 7th, 2024 at MoMI and let us know your thoughts!