EVENT BLOG 3: HAMMER MUSEUM- JUDITH HOPF

For my third event, I decided to visit the Hammer Museum to see Judith Hopf's exhibition. Prior to visiting the exhibit, I had no idea what to expect given I did not look at any of the descriptions online nor was there a specific title to the exhibit outside the room. 
Hopf's depiction of an anthropomorphized laptop, entitled Waiting Laptops.
Upon entering, the plain white walls and cement floor contrasted with the works of art in the room, further drawing my eyes to each piece. The first work I noticed were the paintings of laptop, as shown above. The paintings appeared to be a humanized computer with hair, arms, and legs. I interpreted this anthropomorphism of laptops to signify society's growing dependence on technology, to the point that they seem to be constant "companions", waiting for people to interact with them. In doing so, these pieces also reminded me of concepts relating to robotics and art, particularly the idea of humanoids and the humanization of computers. Furthermore, our growing dependence on technology contributes to the humanization of technology, as seen through the development of the humanoids described in lecture.

Artwork entitled, Personification of a Problem (2016).
 Video art entitled, Up (2016).
Another work of art that stood out to me was the video art entitled, Up. The video begins with shots of the surrounding environment, consisting of a primarily rural countryside with dirt paths and fields stretching for miles. After the first minute of these shots, a white Audi SUV appears in the distance, driving through the dirt path at a high speed. As it gets closer to the screen, the car abruptly flips on it side, and as it approaches the middle of the screen, goes back on its four wheels. Driving away from the screen, a basketball appears rolling on the dirt path as the video ends. I interpreted the high-end vehicle's existence in the seemingly untouched countryside to once again demonstrate technology's far-reaching influence on places even in rural backgrounds. The demonstrated the absurdity of technology and its appearance of impossible bounds as the car flipped on its side and went back to its original position. This could maybe signify how adapting art and technology is, particularly to art movements as seen in neomaterialism reflected in the first event I attended.

A selfie with one of the workers who sat outside the exhibit.
I really enjoyed this exhibit as it tied to the core the topics of art and technology, particularly how technology contributes to changes in human art and behavior. I would recommend visiting this exhibit to my peers as it exemplifies the interplay of technology and art.
Works Cited

"Hammer Projects: Judith Hopf - Hammer Museum." The Hammer Museum. N.p., n.d. Web. 03 June 2017. <https://hammer.ucla.edu/exhibitions/2017/hammer-projects-judith-hopf/>.

Hopf, Judith. 2016. Sculpture and Painting. Hammer Projects: Judith Hopf, Hammer Museum.




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