Palo Alto, 2017
VR installation, powder-coated aluminum bars, HTC Vive, carpet, monitor, digital data
Place of originBerlin
About the workThe first computer bug is said to have been caused by an actual insect inside the machine. A similar programming bug is the subject of this virtual reality installation by the Düsseldorf artist duo Giulia Bowinkel and Friedemann Banz. In “Palo Alto” – the title referring to the Californian technology hub – a giant insect crawls through a computer-generated landscape in which avatars fall from the sky. The scene is dominated by a faceless tower in the centre. The installation unveils a dystopia that lies between surveillance, anonymity and a loss of meaning.
AccessionAcquisition 2021
Inventory numberZM2021.2