Aasgaard & Armstrong's The Factory Satirizes Bio-Tracking Tech at Uncanny Shifts in Dortmund
As part of the exhibition Uncanny Shifts, organized by Urbane Künste Ruhr, Ellinor Aurora Aasgaard and Zayne Armstrong unveil The Factory, a site-specific installation located in a former optician's shop at Hansastraße 26-28, Dortmund. This exhibition, curated by Britta Peters and Alisha Raissa Danscher, will be open from August 22 to October 4, 2026. The installation showcases inflatable sculptures inspired by Henry Moore, painted panels that reference historical artworks, and a 30-minute animated film titled Charli & The Factory (2024). This film critiques neoliberal body culture and self-optimization through journalist Charli's exploration of a malfunctioning FitWatch. Additionally, the installation features Transformers figures taking selfies and inflatable bodies imitating exercise, with a real gym situated nearby.
Key facts
- The Factory is a site-specific installation by Ellinor Aurora Aasgaard and Zayne Armstrong in a former optician's shop at Hansastraße 26-28, Dortmund.
- It is part of the exhibition Uncanny Shifts, organized by Urbane Künste Ruhr, running from August 22 to October 4, 2026.
- The installation includes a 30-minute animated film, Charli & The Factory (2024), about a journalist investigating a malfunctioning FitWatch.
- Curators are Britta Peters and Alisha Raissa Danscher.
- The work features inflatable sculptures inspired by Henry Moore and painted panels referencing historical artworks by Simon Marmion, Piero del Pollaiuolo, and Caspar David Friedrich.
- The exhibition occupies multiple locations in Dortmund, including a train station, pedestrian zone, and church.
- The project dates are listed as 2022-2024.
- The installation is part of designboom's SPECTATOR AND SPECTACLE chapter, in partnership with SolidNature.
Entities
Artists
- Ellinor Aurora Aasgaard
- Zayne Armstrong
- Henry Moore
- Simon Marmion
- Piero del Pollaiuolo
- Caspar David Friedrich
- Britta Peters
- Alisha Raissa Danscher
- Charli
- Henning Rogge
Institutions
- Urbane Künste Ruhr
- Uncanny Shifts
- designboom
- SolidNature
- The Factory
Locations
- Dortmund
- Germany
- Berlin
- Hansastraße 26-28, 44137, Dortmund