ARTFEED — Contemporary Art Intelligence

Decolonized Skies at apexart Examines Aerial View Politics Through Drone Technology and Activist Art

exhibition · 2026-04-22

Between September 11 and October 25, 2014, apexart in New York showcased "Decolonized Skies," curated by High&Low Bureau, which includes Yael Messer and Gilad Reich. This exhibition explored aerial views influenced by governmental and corporate entities, particularly through the use of drones. Forensic Architecture presented Drone Strikes, Threshold of Detectability (2014), highlighting missile impacts smaller than a pixel in satellite images. Ruben Pater's Drone Survival Guide (2013) detailed prevalent drone models and evasion strategies. Bik Van der Pol's Elements of Composition (2011) questioned the neutrality of Google Earth. Peter Fend's Über die Grenze (2012) examined satellite imagery from Chernobyl. The exhibition noted the Pentagon's current fleet of 10,000 drones, with a forecast of 30,000 by 2035, and included George R. Lawrence's 1906 kite photo of post-earthquake San Francisco.

Key facts

  • Exhibition ran September 11 through October 25, 2014 at apexart, 291 Church Street, New York
  • Curated by High&Low Bureau (Yael Messer and Gilad Reich) from Amsterdam and Tel Aviv
  • Featured Forensic Architecture's Drone Strikes, Threshold of Detectability (2014) with videos on spatial analysis for legal evidence
  • Included Ruben Pater's Drone Survival Guide (2013), a free poster identifying drones and evasion methods
  • Showed Bik Van der Pol's Elements of Composition (2011) documenting altered Google Earth images of their intervention
  • Presented Peter Fend's Über die Grenze: May Not Be Seen Or Read Or Done (2012) collages on satellite data interpretation
  • Pentagon drone fleet numbers approximately 10,000; FAA predicts 30,000 over U.S. soil in less than 20 years
  • Referenced George R. Lawrence's 1906 aerial photograph of San Francisco after the earthquake and fires

Entities

Artists

  • George R. Lawrence
  • Yael Messer
  • Gilad Reich
  • Ruben Pater
  • Bik Van der Pol
  • Peter Fend

Institutions

  • apexart
  • High&Low Bureau
  • Forensic Architecture
  • Ocean Earth Development Corporation
  • Pentagon
  • Federal Aviation Administration
  • United Nations
  • Google Earth
  • Essex Street Market

Locations

  • New York
  • United States
  • Amsterdam
  • Netherlands
  • Tel Aviv
  • Israel
  • San Francisco
  • Chernobyl

Sources