Spectator Sports
Alycia Bennett
Spectator Sports - Is a multifaceted exhibition composed of tapestries/rugs, installation, sound, video and performance. The tapestries consist of a series of portraits and landscapes that depict bodies under surveillance. The imagery within the portraits represent thermal heat imaging, facial recognition and data monitoring processes. These graph and screen-based images are created through hand-tufted carpet making process, using wool and acrylic fibres. The exhibition has a complimentary sculpturalAV installation and performed video/sound work. Along side the exhibition, Bennett will host a series of collaborative rug making workshops. Participants will organise, design and make a rug for the community of Watch This Space gallery.
Spectator Sports examines the ways bodies navigate present and future surveillance. Questioning the power dynamics inherent in bodies subjected and succumbed to policing, tracking and monitoring. How does self surveillance create physical changes to bodies and autonomy? What are the benefits to individuals versus a society, living under a constant panoptic gaze? How do communities succumb and resist the urge to police each other. The work hopes to create discussions around the ethicality of being seen, digital ownership and loss of agency through policing and technology and strategises playful resistance techniques in surveilled space.
Spectator Sports hopes to contribute to conversations around how surveillance and data-harvesting is pertinent in the Northern Territory, given the Territory’s long history of trialling modes of mass monitoring and control on its vulnerable populations; its data harvesting centres; its over-policing; and its historical significance as Australia’s birthplace of telecommunications.
Bio
Alycia Bennett is a multi-displinary artist based on Kaurna Land. Bennett is a graduate of Adelaide Central School of Art with Honours in 2017. Their works spans across community social practice, relational performance, tapestries, installation, sculpture, video and sound. Bennett’s practice investigates ideas surrounding surveillance, public and private space, and re-distribution of class and power. Their practice is informed by ideas of autonomy, self sustaining communities and non-institutional learning.
Bennett has held a number of roles within the Adelaide community including Co-Director Sister Gallery, volunteer; FELT Space and Adelaide Bike Kitchen. They have exhibited locally, internationally and online, Adelaide/Philippines; Fine Print Magazine, Next Wave, Guildhouse ARTWORKS, Art Informal (Metro Manila Philippines), Sister Gallery, Holy Rollers Studios, FELT Space, Format Inc, Floating Goose Studios, Prospect Gallery, Monster Mouse Studios and co facilitated a number of activities in non-traditional spaces.
Recently they were a facilitator of a pop up activity centre titled Negative Space. Negative Space is a participatory installation created for SALA 2019 and 2020 which promotes the culture of sharing by creating space for collaboration and exchange between a local and international audience.
Image: Alycia Bennett, Body Cam 1, hand tufted carpet, 80x125cm, 2022
EXHIBITION
22 April — 14 May
OPENING
Friday 22 April, 6pm
with experimental noise/video performance
WORKSHOPS
Collaborative Rug Making Saturday 23rd &
Saturday 30th April
9am—2pm