Ashok Sukumaran
Ashok's recent work has dealt with the intersection of
human habitats, and technologies being embedded within
them. Recent projects use simple hardware and software
combinations towards a broad investigation of
"infrastructure", individual agency, and property
relations. Such work draws from contemporary
computer-based art, conceptual practices, telematics,
early and pre-cinema, and architecture. He has been
interested in the various thresholds of desire,
understanding, and administration that are inscribed
in technologies and their use.
Ashok and his wife Shaina live in Mumbai, India. His
work has been shown widely in recent years. In 2006,
he completed large-scale projects in San Jose (US),
Lille (France) and at the Singapore Biennale. In 2006
he was artist-in-residence at Sun Microsystems in
Menlo Park. In 2007 he initiated a long-term project
around electricity and the urban, which involves a
number of prototypical “public works” in the
electrical medium, mostly in his own neighbourhood.
With Shaina Anand and Sanjay Bhangar, Ashok also
recently launched CAMP, a collaborative initiative
around art, media, and technology practices,
responding to a specific city context in Mumbai.
He is also involved in other collaborations, including
an online open video archive, and a project on the
philosophy of design. Recent writing of his has been
published in In The Shade of the Commons (Bansal,
Keller, Lovink eds. 2006) and on NeMe.org. Upcoming
art projects include a one-person gallery show at
Thomas Erben in New York, and a project on “the
underground” with Arts Catalyst in London.
Ashok's work has received several honors, including
the Golden Nica (for Interactive art), at the Prix Ars
Electronica 2007, and the first prize of the UNESCO
Digital Arts Award, 2005. His ongoing work is
supported by grants from the Daniel Langlois
Foundation for Art, Science, and Technology, and the
India Foundation for the Arts Grant for Extending Arts
Practice.
http://camputer.org