Candy & Code: Rachel Beth Egenhoefer, Barbara Rauch and Nicola Naismith at the ICA

TFRC together with the Institute of Contemporary Arts (ICA) explored the coded enquiry of three artists and researchers: Rachel Beth Egenhoefer, Dr Barbara Rauch, and Nicola Naismith.

Rachel Beth Egenhoefer considers her Commodore 64 Computer and Fischer Price Loom to be defining objects of her childhood. Using analogue media such as knitting & candy, she creates installations composed of tactile representations of digital information and computation. She is currently researching the intersection of textiles, technology and the body in contemporary media studies. Egenhoefer was brought to UK from San Francisco as part of the Distributed South initiative, a series of residencies co-curated by SCAN and Space Media. The residency is funded by ACE, University of Wales, University of Brighton, Lighthouse Brighton and supported by SCAN, Space Media, Furtherfield, TFRG and University of the Arts London.
www.rachelbeth.net

Dr Barbara Rauch - Deputy Director SCIRIA (Sensory Computer Interface Research & Innovation in the Arts), UAL. Barabara's practice combines consciousness studies with digital art theories and practices. Rauch in particular explores evolutionary aspects of human and animal facial expression to reveal conscious and subconscious experience. Rauch is currently the co-investigator of a 2-year AHRC research grant ‘The Personalised Surface Within Fine Art Digital Printmaking’ (with Prof Paul Coldwell, FADE, Fine Art Digital Environment).

Much of Rauch’s work uses data capture technologies, digital print technology, visualisation of digital 3D work, animation, sound, drawings and performance. www.sciria.org.uk

Nicola Naismith - Lecturer at Norwich School of Art and Design
Nicola explores the ordinary qualities in specific everyday items for example the white shirt and the sewing needle, using a combination of digital and analogue processes. Simple objects are subject to complex questions concerning production, labour, value and the human-machine. Naismith re-presents these ideas through works that unravel operations between hand, eye, brain, body and machine. Nicola Naismith is developing a new body of work supported by Arts Council England, Norfolk County Council and the Sir Phillip Reckitt Educational Trust. www.nicolanaismith.co.uk

Following the presentations, Dr Jane Harris, Director of TFRG, Helen Sloan, Director of SCAN and Jess Laccetti, Institute of Creative Technologies, formed a panel of discussion with the artists.