BIAN 2016: Art by Machines, for Machines

The third edition of the BIAN (Biennale internationale d'art numérique de Montréal) takes place at the Arsenal, curated by Alain Thibault under the theme 'Automata'. The biennial explores art made by and for machines, featuring satellite events like ADC/DAC at Galerie Diagonal in Mile-End, where Phillip David Stearns presents 'Vestigial Data'—tapestries woven on Jacquard looms from corrupted digital files. At the Arsenal, Paolo Almario's 'dyforme' series displays pixelated paper portraits of digital pioneers (Charles Babbage) that self-destruct via a mechanical ejector. Julien Maire's 'Man at Work' uses 3D-printed models projected in a low-tech animation loop referencing pre-cinema. Cory Arcangel's 'Photoshop Gradient Demonstrations' provide algorithmic recipes for abstract prints, questioning art market value. Jean-Benoît Lallemant's 'US Drone Strikes, Yemen' features a blank canvas with micro-movements simulating drone strikes. Pe Lang's 'Positioning systems VI – Falling Objects' activates twice daily to align water droplets on a hydrophobic surface, then evaporates. Evening performances at the Elektra festival include Nelmarie du Preez's 'To Stab', a reenactment of Marina Abramović's 'Rest Energy' with a robotic arm. The BIAN runs from April to August 2016.