Art
Christy Westhovens
Ruimte - Dag & Nacht
Our ancestors have looked at the stars for centuries. They used astronomy to navigate, keep time, grow food and investigate their place in the universe.
Now, centuries later, darkness in cities has become scarce and our view of the stars has faded. Since the first artificial satellite was launched in 1957, a race for dominance in space has gradually emerged. Currently, there are about 15,000 satellites orbiting the earth - a number that will increase exponentially in the coming years - which, whether intentionally or not, have taken over many of the functions of stars. Location, time and (weather) information are thus sent from space to your pocket. But that space is becoming increasingly crowded now that more and more companies are appropriating the same 'free space'. Designed and controlled by governments and Big Tech companies, space has become an (un)controllable infrastructure - and good regulations do not exist.
Space is a journey through time, under the sky, into the great wide open.
About Christy Westhovens:
Christy Westhovens works at the intersection of art, technology, and society. With a critical eye and a screwdriver in hand, she investigates everyday devices to make the underlying technical, political, and social mechanisms visible. For example, she researched common radio technologies such as the Bluetooth protocol to understand what data we unconsciously leave behind. She also focused on developing tools for collective research and repurposing the surplus of 'smart' devices. Her work ranges from interactive installations and tools to facilitating collective hacking sessions; always with the aim of questioning, understanding, and reclaiming control over our daily digital infrastructure.
Christy Westhovens studied Fine Art in Maastricht, after which she completed her master's in ArtScience in The Hague. Her work has been exhibited at Bureau Europa, LUNA Media Art Friesland, the van Bommel van Dam museum, and the Tschumi pavilion, among others.
The art program was made possible with a contribution from the Mondriaan Fund, Creative Industries Fund NL and De Versterking.
