Marshmallow Laser Feast's 'Entwined' exhibition at Bitforms gallery explores nature through digital contradiction
Running until March 8 at Bitforms gallery in New York, the exhibition 'Entwined' showcases the work of the London-based artist collective Marshmallow Laser Feast, which has been active since 2011. Featuring eight looping videos, the display immerses viewers in pulsing forests accompanied by droning soundscapes. Notable pieces include 'Breath Cycles' (2018) and 'Lupuna: Becoming' (2024), while the series 'In the Eyes of the Animal' (2015–2023) offers insights from nonhuman viewpoints. Despite emphasizing the relationship between humanity and nature in the Anthropocene, the exhibition's reliance on energy-heavy digital techniques, such as drones and Lidar scanners, raises concerns about its environmental impact, particularly highlighted in 'We Live in an Ocean of Air, Horizontal Edition' (2016).
Key facts
- Exhibition 'Entwined' runs through March 8 at Bitforms gallery in New York
- Marshmallow Laser Feast is a London-based artist collective active since 2011
- Features eight looping videos including 'Breath Cycles' (2018) and 'Lupuna: Becoming' (2024)
- Includes series 'In the Eyes of the Animal' (2015–2023) depicting nonhuman perspectives
- Artists used drones, Lidar scanners, and field recordings in Grizedale Forest and Sequoia National Park
- Works are 'generative compositions' using algorithmic systems to manipulate datasets
- Exhibition highlights climate change but relies on energy-intensive digital processes
- Environmental impact includes data center electricity use and carbon footprint from AI models
Entities
Artists
- Marshmallow Laser Feast
Institutions
- Bitforms gallery
- ArtReview
Locations
- New York
- United States
- London
- United Kingdom
- Grizedale Forest
- England
- Sequoia National Park
- California