Rafael Lozano-Hemmer, Surface Tension (1992) Courtesy the artist and Carroll/Fletcher, London. Installation photograph by Maxime Dufour © Rafael Lozano-Hemmer
Nam June Paik, Internet Dream (1994), video sculpture, 287 x 380 x 80 cm. ZKM | Collection © (2008) ZKM | Center for Art and Media Karlsruhe, Photo: Steffen Harms
Addie Wagenknecht, Asymmetric Love (2013) Courtesy bitforms gallery, New York. Photograph by David Payr © Addie Wagenknecht
Oliver Laric, Versions (Missile Variations) (2010) Private Collection, London. Image courtesy the artist and Seventeen Gallery, London © Oliver Laric
Thomas Ruff, Substrat 34 I (2007) Courtesy David Zwirner New York/London © Thomas Ruff
Lynn Hershman Leeson, Seduction of a Cyborg (1994) ZKM Collection © (2015) ZKM Center for Art and Media, Karlsruhe © Lynn Hershman Leeson
Eduardo Kac, Tesão (Horny) (1985) Courtesy the artist and England & Co. Gallery, London © Eduardo Kac
Past Exhibition
29 January – 15 May 2016
⋆⋆⋆⋆ – Guardian
“…an absorbing show – set aside a few hours and take a plunge” – Evening Standard
“compelling and refreshing” – It’s Nice That
A major exhibition bringing together over 100 works to show the impact of computer and Internet technologies on artists from the mid-1960s to the present day.
The exhibition title is taken from a term coined in 1974 by South Korean video art pioneer Nam June Paik, who foresaw the potential of global connections through technology. Arranged in reverse chronological order, Electronic Superhighway begins with works made at the arrival of the new millennium, and ends with Experiments in Art and Technology (E.A.T), an iconic, artistic moment that took place in 1966. Key moments in the history of art and the Internet emerge as the exhibition travels back in time.
The exhibition features new and rarely seen multimedia works, together with film, painting, sculpture, photography and drawing. From Cory Arcangel, Jeremy Bailey, James Bridle, Constant Dullaart and Oliver Laric, to Roy Ascott, Judith Barry, Lynn Hershman Leeson and Ulla Wiggen, over 70 artists spanning 50 years are included. Watch a tour of the exhibition with curator Omar Kholeif .
For families with young children, please note some works in this exhibition contain sensitive material. Please contact us for further information. A sound trail for younger visitors, devised specially by artist Jenny Moore for the exhibition, is available to stream or download via Soundcloud.
Generously supported by:
With additional support from:
Balassi Institute, Hungarian Cultural Centre London
Institute Für Auslandsbeziehungen e.V. Stuttgart
Korean Cultural Institute
Outset Estonia
Embassy of Sweden in London
The Embassy of the Kingdom of The Netherlands
The Great Britain Sasakawa Foundation
Media Partner:
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Coinciding with Electronic Superhighway are a series of free commissions and displays:
Luke Fowler & Mark Fell
30 Oct 2015 – 7 Feb 2016
Multidisciplinary artists Fowler and Fell collaborate on a new project exploring technological advancements in music over time.
Harun Farocki: Parallel I-IV
15 Dec 2015 – 5 Jun 2016
Farocki’s major video installation Parallel I-IV (2012-2014) charts the evolution of computer game graphics over 30 years.
Artists’ Film International
29 Jan – 3 Apr 2016
Themed on ‘technologies’, this year-long screening programme begins with Rachel Maclean’s dark and surreal Germs (2013) and Atmospheres (2015) by Indian artist Rohini Devasher.
Heather Phillipson
12 Feb – 17 Apr 2016
Artist and award-winning poet Heather Phillipson presents an immersive new multimedia installation.
Jonas Lund: Fair Warning
7 April – 12 June 2016
Coinciding with the exhibition Electronic Superhighway (2016-1966), Swedish artist Jonas Lund presents a new online work titled Fair Warning (2016).
The fully illustrated catalogue for Electronic Superhighway (2016-1966) includes newly commissioned artist interviews, interventions and more. Price: £29.99. Buy Now
Discover the Whitechapel Gallery’s diverse programme of Electronic Superhighway (2016-1966) artist talks, special events and performances. Find out more
Buy affordable artworks by Douglas Coupland, Trevor Paglen, Thomas Ruff and Amalia Ulman. Available exclusively at the Whitechapel Gallery on the occasion of the exhibition
See10 key works included in Electronic Superhighway as selected by exhibition curator Omar Kholeif, plus the full list of artists.
