April 29, 2024

Pop Up IoT and Screen Printing Design Concept by James Black

Join us at Gallery One on Thursday, May 2 from 4-7 p.m. for the opening reception of the Rail Trail Art & Technology Internet of Things Exhibition at Gallery One.

The City of Albuquerque's Public Art Program is pleased to feature an exhibition of 10 local artists' experimental, temporary proposals and prototypes for public artworks that could someday be enlarged and installed along the proposed Rail Trail. Working in partnership with the City's Department of Technology & Innovation and the CNM Ingenuity's Internet of Things (IoT) and Rapid Prototyping Bootcamp coding program, two groups of artists learned how to blend public art concepts with basic internet driven technology to create interactive and science based public art prototypes through two semesters of a special, artist focused technology bootcamp course.

Participating artists include James Black; Adrian Pijoan; Owen Schwab; Katie Neeley; Viola Arduini; Zuyva Sevilla; Emily Silva; Evelyn Rosenberg; CK Cooper; and Celestino Crowhill.

The Rail Trail Art & Technology Internet of Things Exhibition will feature the Albuquerque Public Art Program's first ever art and technology sculpture. In 1986, then UNM Professor Emeritus of Art, Charles Mattox was commissioned to create a portable, programmable system to project laser light effects onto walls or screens calibrated to music and sound.

The laser projector was realized and installed in 1988. It has traveled around the City between facilities with the most recent installation at Explora. Mattox's revived laser light sculpture will be part of the exhibition at Gallery One in the Art Vault, adding an historical dimension to the City's continued efforts to embrace art and technology.

All 10 IoT prototypes and Mattox's laser light sculpture will be on display in Gallery One from May 2 to June 7. The exhibit is free and open to the public. Gallery One is located on the first floor of City Hall at 1 Civic Plaza NW and is open 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., Monday through Friday.

Images of the Portable Laser Light Sculpture by Charles Mattox

Charles Mattox (1910 - 1996) was a sculptor and educator, who taught at many institutions around the country including the University of New Mexico. Mattox was one of Albuquerque's most cutting-edge artists of the previous century, who was interested in kinetic sculpture and the application of computer graphics to art.

His impact on Albuquerque is reflected in the UNM College of Fine Arts' Mattox Sculpture Center, where many of UNM's sculpture students earned their degrees, honoring Mr. Mattox's achievements that you can learn more about here.

If you are interested in learning more about art and technology, be sure to check out the next three episodes of Public Art's Take Another Look Podcast!

Listen to the first nine episodes and subscribe to the podcast newsletter at cabq.gov/publicart/podcast.

Join us in paying tribute and celebrating the contributions and influence of Asian Americans, Native Hawaiians, and Pacific Islanders to history, culture, and the future. Public Art will be highlighting more than 30 local, national, and international Asian and Pacific Islander artists all month at Gallery One.

Check out a few below - then stop by the gallery to learn more!

City of Albuquerque Public Art Urban Enhancement Division | cabq.gov/publicart