Computer Grrrls History, Gender, Technology

Twenty-three inter­na­ti­o­nal artists and collec­ti­ves offer sharp, criti­cal pers­pec­ti­ves on digi­tal tech­no­logy, revi­si­ting the history of women and machi­nes and outli­ning scena­rios for a more inclu­sive future.

What if we put the ‘grrrls’ back in compu­ters? Compu­ter Grrrls is show­ca­sing 23 inter­na­ti­o­nal artists and collec­ti­ves that are rewri­ting domi­nant narra­ti­ves about tech­no­logy. Women who are unear­thing the little-known role their prede­ces­sors played in the early days of compu­ting. Women who decode and recode ones and zeros and sketch the lines of conver­gence toward a soci­ety with fewer stere­oty­pes.

The works produ­ced by these artis­tic rese­ar­chers, hackers and makers – 3D-prin­ted objects, video insta­lla­ti­ons and virtual reality – examine mino­ri­ti­es’ place on the Inter­net, gender bias, digi­tal survei­llance and elec­tro­nic colo­ni­a­lism.

Compu­ter Grrrls will present a series of confe­ren­ces, concerts and DJ sets in conjunc­tion with the exhi­bi­tion of works. The events offer a prime oppor­tu­nity to think along diffe­rent lines – and not just lines of code – while imagi­ning an alter­na­tive digi­tal future that is more diverse and egali­ta­rian.

With Morehs­hin Allahyari, Manetta Berends, Nadja Butten­dorf, Elisa­beth Cara­ve­lla, Jenni­fer Chan, Alek­san­dra Doma­no­vić, Louise Drulhe, Elisa Giar­dina Papa, Darsha Hewitt, Lauren Huret, Hyphen-Labs, Dasha Ilina, Mary Maggic, Caro­line Martel, Simone C. Niqui­lle, Jenny Odell, Tabita Rezaire, Roberte la Rousse, Erica Scourti, Suzanne Treis­ter, Lu Yang, Zach Blas & Jemima Wyman.

Exhi­bi­tion Office : Inke Arns (HMKV – Hart­ware Medi­en­Kunst­Ve­rein) and Marie Lech­ner (La Gaîté Lyri­que).

In copro­duc­tion with the HMKV – Hart­ware Medi­en­Kunst­Ve­rein (Dort­mund, Germany).

Exhi­bi­tion dedi­ca­ted to Natha­lie Magnan (1956–2016).