Statement
Accelerating progress in nanometer-scale science and technology continues to expand the toolkit with which we can eventually assemble things from the atom up. This will potentially give rise to nearly costless systems for controlling the structure of matter itself. In the interim, the 3D printing revolution is said to have already arrived, promising content-to-print solutions and on-demand means of increasingly customizable production. But molecular manufacturing and 3D printing won’t merely make for an end to material scarcity as we know it. These so-called “abundance” technologies will make for objecthoods the likes of which we’ve not known and maybe can’t know this side of some sort of technological singularity (i.e, the theoretical emergence of superintelligence through technological means beyond which events cannot be predicted). It’s in anticipation of that reality race that my work starts.
To foreshadow an age of hacking matter, I use molecular modeling research software and craft custom code to grow generative molecular designs and algorithmically automate alternative representations of nano-scaled structures. With intent to literally convert digital bits back into atoms and properly relate the operative ideologies of 3D-printing to the research and development of theoretical nanofacture, I’ve hand-hobbled together from scratch a number of RepRaps (3D printers) which I use to materialize (or literally to print) my amassing cache of newfangled nanomolecular models. I collage together thousands of these 2D rendered and 3D printed models into painterly compositions depicting things organic, inorganic, synthesizable, theoretically feasible, nonsensical, and nonobjective.
The resulting artworks, in series called “Nano-Nonobjective-Oriented Ontographs”, “Qubit-Built Quilts”, “Post-Scarcity Percept-Pus Portraits” and “Scriptable-Scalable Species-Tool-Beings,” offer visual art answers to technological singularity blindsightedness; that the future’s futures can’t really be foreseen. How can we hope to depict the runaway imaginings of accelerated artificial intelligences? What will it look like if and after our overclocked-offspring (quicker-thinking posthuman descendants) decide to disassemble everything we know for spare parts?
Forever optimistic, I put forth these pieces as plans for playborground ball pits of pure operationality all about an atomic admin access-privs picturesque. I consider them compendia serving to lay bare the interobjectivity between nanomolecular unit operations; to abandon anthropocentric narrative adherence; to show how the sum of the parts is greater than the whole; to inscribe object-to-object fault lines of relata distortion on equal ontologically flattened footing with human consciousness; and to display the density of how much can simultaneously exist more like manifold meanwhiles all the way across.
So run this, for here’s how you in the form of pathetic-prophetic techno-poetics for reals forge future’s futures: nano-nonobjective-oriented ontographic scribblin’ on scriptable-scalable species-tool-beings quacker-castin’ computronium-clouds of kilo-IQ’d collablobject-oriented co-op-corporeal commons-clusters playborin’ with post-scarcity percept-pus and prescient-peek-a-boo public-panopticon-powdered plunderware-portraiture of plans for playborground ball pits of pure operationality all about atomic admin access-privs picturesque grey-gooplexus-thunkuppetrees qubit-built-quiltin’ algorithmicracked-out junk-DNAnarch-keys to un-nanoblockonomic-lock fine-joules-bots that gots-lots-o-watts spinformation-supportin’ scenariopolist rapturama-root abundance-heck-tech-wreckonomical enzymin’-rhymin’ chmodder-fodder for smartdustormin’ mass-mod-mood-meds runnin’ on you runnin’ on hyper-necker-deathcubes quture-sporecastin’ syncthetic smartificially-exprisoned empathologically-infacteous connectivitis-cognitariats called upon to camouflage the protocol-onization of everythingyness upwhen on a lifefile::path towards a mass2sapient-ratiocracy gettin’ smartfaced and uploaded addin’ add-ons off your overclocker rocker perv’d POV-vapor Xmit rights to far edge soylent green tea party uploadside your headers of bequestorbot blobjecthoodlumist bucky-luck-lock logicages-gates computtin’ uh handicrafted e-cap in your app-portential meat-splaced-out smartmatter of nanofacturally date-stampeded data-debased nDiagrammatic copylution-commodity cross sections of compound cutaway exploded view shish ka-bombs higher-ordermensionally hackin’-hockin’ chem-phlegm loogie-loggin’ one man bandwidth’d biochippin’ off the old-bad-blocks-bunchallianced punchin’ the overclockin’ cached-advanced chronoughty cognitive haze phraseologies pharmosomally flocusin’ femtofactured-fluidentifried-fleshionistas fee-willin’ click-fraud false-flag-phishin’ for masstaken-iPlentities so omega-pointless slashdot-to-dot-subthreaded by buy/cellutility-swarms of soul-splinterferin’ spaculativernaculareerin’ sumplace skiddie snarfin’ sporgery zombie noo-zoos transubstrationally timeshearin’-taggin’ envirornamentally-challenged infomorphiliac-biorouters backscatterin’ bloodstream-slummin’-it up hick-hackenstantial thought barrier robber barons’ sapient-sopper see-source-serum sci-fi-lustratin’ morph-feral-foglet-fabbed fertilizer for fornicode for misalignment-matter mogul mashmobsters manipulatin’ malfoamational monay-yay markets for metacompetitive metabolisms of things-executin’-things-executin’-things-executin’-things…”
Bio
Shane Hope studied New Genres at the San Francisco Art Institute, Information Arts at San Francisco State University, attended the Skowhegan School of Painting and Sculpture, received his MFA from the University of California San Diego, and thereafter joined UCLA’s Department of Art as a Research Assistant in New Genres. Shane has shown at Susanne Vielmetter Los Angeles Projects and Carmichael Gallery in LA, participated in the 2009 Prague Biennale, is represented by Winkleman Gallery in New York and will be featured in the Fall 2013 exhibition entitled “Dissident Futures” at the Yerba Buena Center for the Arts in San Francisco.
CV
Shane Hope
Lives/works: L.I.C., New York
Education
University of California, San Diego, MFA, Visual Arts, 2002
Skowhegan School of Painting and Sculpture, 2000
San Francisco State University, Information Arts, 1997
San Francisco Art Institute, New Genres, 1996
San Diego State University, BA, Art and Communications, 1996
Selected Solo Exhibitions
2013
Nano-Nonobjective-Oriented Ontographs and Qubit-Built Quilts, Winkleman Gallery, NY, NY,
2011
Transubstrational: As a Smartmatter of Nanofacture, Winkleman Gallery, NY, NY,
2009
Your Mom Is Open Source, Winkleman Gallery, NY, NY
2008
Hyper-Spatial Sentient Sopper Serum Scillystrations of Morph-Feral-Foglet-Fabbed Smart-Gels and Quacker Cast Dataclouds of Public Panopticon Powder on Airborne Algorithmicracked-Out Recreational Diseases, Winkleman Gallery, NY, NY
2007
DistribuDeev Data-Debased Dark Matter of Infactious Informorphically-Biorouted Hick-Hacker Hortus Humanus Electricus, Aeonomically Autoscient Artillectual Anthropos/Implementa GraviTV and an Acceluture Future-Pharmada of Ornamentally-Challenged Molecula Modula, Project Gentili, Prato, Italy
2004
Speculative Drawcuments and Folk Crystallographs, Rosamund Felsen Gallery, LA, CA
2002
Outsider Biotech Intramission [sic], Susanne Vielmetter Projects, LA, CA
Selected Group Exhibitions
2012
DATA TRASH, I-20, NY, NY
Colliding Complexities: Extreme Feats of the New York-New Aesthetic, Storefront Bushwick, Brooklyn, NY
2010
Transhuman Conditions, Arlington Arts Center, VA
2009
Prague Biennale 4, Karlin Hall, Prague, CZ
2008
Pole Shift, Berlin, Germany
Brevity’s Rainbow, Cinders Gallery, Brooklyn, NY
Replicant, Virgil de Voldere Gallery, NY, NY
2006
All Systems Go!, Scope Art Fair, NY, NY
2004
The Path of Moons and Planets, Crazy Space, LA, CA
Staff Infection, UCLA New Wight Gallery, LA, CA
2003
California Amateur Superstars, Aurora Picture Show Microcinema, Houston, TX
2002
LA Freewaves, Hammer Museum, LA, CA
2001
The Wight Biennial 2001, Wight Gallery, LA, CA
Them!, Jay Grimm Gallery, NY, NY
Transmediale: International Media Art Festival, Berlin, Germany
4th International Digital Arts and Culture Conference, Brown University, Road Island
Immedia 1901: Digital Art Exhibition, Ann Arbor, Michigan
Violate Nature, Morongo Valley, CA
You’re Dead, Marcuse Gallery, UCSD, La Jolla, CA
1999
Dada Festival 2, Somarts Gallery, SF, CA
1996
Confess, Southern Exposure, SF, CA
Selected Bibliography
Nettrice Gaskins, “Colliding Complexities: Extreme feats of the New York_New Aesthetic,” Art21, October 2012
Ken Johnson, “Shane Hope: ‘Transubstrational: As a Smartmatter of Nanofacture’,” New York Times, December 2, 2011
Hank Pellissier, “Interview with Shane Hope, Transhumanist Artist,” Institute for Ethics and Emerging Technologies (IEET), December 1, 2011
Charles Kessler, “October Chelsea Roundup,” Left Bank Art, November 2, 2011
Brian Droitcour, “Futurespeak: Shane Hope’s Keywords Defined,” Rhizome, June 2009
James Wagner, “Shane Hope at Winkleman,” jameswagner.com, July 2009
Nathan Shafer, “Collective Formatting of the Future,” poptech.org/blog, July 2009
S.C. Squibb, “Shane Hope on Your Mom is an Open Source,” ArtCat Zine, artcat.com, July 2009
Alice Pfeiffer, “Digital Creations of Age,” The New York Times, September 2009
