Skawennati : Avatars Aliens Ancestors


Strange exhibition at Canada House by Skawennati, describes as an “urban mowhawk woman and cyperpunk”.

The premise of this show was that the work was all created within the virtual environment, Second Life. She makes movies she calls “machinimas” and photographs “machinimagraphs”. Both of these are made by her avatar. She uses this medium to look at indigenous people and to raise their profile and sees it as a world in which they can have their own voice and not reinvent as ‘normal’. 

I loved the wall of portraits from this virtual world but am struggling a bit with whether I think they are fine art. They are however clear, bright, striking images. I’m afraid I didn’t have time to invest in the video presentations.

I also liked the series of three doll sculptures, a real Barbie in a customised outfit, a 3D print of that Barbie and a corn husk version.

Closes March 2020

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