Contemporary Calgary Invites the Community to Three Dimensions, an Interactive, Multidimensional Journey Through Contemporary Art and Technology by Toronto-based Artist Duo, Jennifer Marman and Daniel Borins

Calgary, Alta (October 3, 2023) - Contemporary Calgary (701, 11 Street SW) is pleased to invite the media to an exclusive preview of Jennifer Marman & Daniel Borins: Three Dimensions. The exhibition is set to run from October 19, 2023, to March 17, 2024, and is an invitation to all to immerse themselves in an interdisciplinary journey through art, narrative, technology, and human perception. Please join us for the exhibition opening on October 19, 2023, at Contemporary Calgary from 6 p.m. to 9 p.m. MST. RSVP to ellen@parkerpr.ca. Three Dimensions takes viewers through constructed space and deconstructed narratives into video works and interactive art that speak to the psychology of seeing. Aspects of popular culture are referenced, and new speculative propositions are offered. The exhibition includes ‘the real’ and ‘the virtual’ in a sort of quantum doubling where the show exists in multiple states simultaneously. The exhibition is a survey of approaches within the artists’ practice and a proposition about the multiple approaches to contemporary art in general. It encompasses kinetic sculpture, sculpture, painting, video, interactive biofeedback art, video installation, and VR.

"We have intentionally designed this exhibition to be an engaging and layered experience," say Marman and Borins, "Every aspect of Three Dimensions invites viewers to participate actively, to question, and to explore the convergence of art, technology, and the human experience." The exhibition comprises three distinct installations, hence the title, Three Dimensions:

Balancing Act: At the core of this installation is an oversized interactive claw crane machine, reminiscent of arcade games, and referencing its first use for mining and extraction. The kinetic sculpture invites viewers to stack felted geometric shapes into building block-like sculptures. This playful yet thought-provoking setup pays homage to historical allegories while drawing connections between industrial colonialism and contemporary art. Accompanying this installation are paintings that idealize the physical shapes inside the cube. They capture light and shadow, ranging from portraiture to abstraction, offering a delightful contrast between detachment and sociability.

THX: Acting as a hall of mirrors, "THX" comprises a series of paintings and a video installation. Appearing like covers to vintage science texts and philosophy books, they hover between poster art and abstraction, interrogating the consumption and reprocessing of images in fine art and mass media. The nonverbal communication of the paintings is expanded upon when the two-dimensional artworks are recast in a video installation that explores scientific research into pharmaceuticals with properties that affect behavior. In another area of the installation, the viewer is invited to sit in front of a computer and don customized headgear that functions as a biofeedback device. This interfaces in real-time with the computer and calls up video on the computer screen and surrounding monitors, resulting in a disrupted narrative with distorted images and timelines. Threaded throughout the whole of the THX installation is the linking of awareness of the psychological, to the foray into the pharmacological, to the influence of the digital.

ABCD: Defying convention, "ABCD" seeks to make an art exhibition vanish, blurring the lines between reality and virtual reality. This installation poses existential questions while showcasing a culmination of the previous installations' themes. Through paintings, sculpture, VR, and video, "ABCD" encapsulates the transitional nature of contemporary culture and invites viewers to ponder the role of art in this transformation.

“Three Dimensions is fun! There’s a giant claw crane game, video screens you can control with your mind, and a combined AI and VR experience. But it’s much more than an artistic arcade. Each installation explores notions of reality, authorship, and the impacts of technology through viewer participation,” says David Leinster, CEO at Contemporary Calgary.

Jennifer Marman & Daniel Borins: Three Dimensions is more than an exhibition; it's an immersive journey through space, time, and human perception. Audiences are encouraged to interact, question, and discover the intricate layers of meaning woven into each installation. As visitors explore the artworks, they are invited to reflect on the complex interplay between history, psychology, technology, and narrative in shaping our contemporary world.

This exhibition promises to be an unforgettable experience that challenges, engages, and delights. To book interviews with spokespeople at the media preview of the exhibition, please email ellen@parkerpr.ca and newsbob@parkerpr.ca.