(Banff) The Walter Phillips Gallery at The Banff Centre is pleased to announce the opening of Sentient Circuitry, (JUNE 10th), an exhibition of robotic sculpture and objects from popular culture, that explores both the technological and metaphorical impact of robots on Western culture.

The artists – Ken Rinaldo, Reva Stone, Bill Vorn and Norman T. White – challenge conventional definitions of robots and explore alternative modes of agency that question the idea of sentience, personality, dysfunction and community. Their works reflect a burgeoning interest in the creation of interactive, evolving, and intelligent art that responds to contemporary representations of artificial intelligence in science and popular culture.

"Unlike other forms of art, robotic artworks are not only objects to be perceived by the public but are themselves often capable of perceiving the public, responding according to the possibilities of their technical apparatuses" writes Melanie Townsend, curator of the exhibition. "As artists continue to push the very limits of art, they introduce robotics as a new medium at the same time that they challenge our understanding of robots – questioning our premises in conceiving, building, and employing these electronic creatures. By expanding the traditionally narrow definition of robots held in science and industry, robotic art makes room for social criticism and commentary, and the free play of imagination."
 

The Walter Phillips Gallery is open Tuesday through Sunday from noon to 5:00 pm. Admission is free.

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