Turbulence Commission: Channel TWo: NYC by Adam Trowbridge and Jessica Westbrook (installed at Turbulence @ Pace Digital Gallery 2, April 5-29, 2011.)

Eleven years into the new century, it is time to discuss the terms of surrender. Not a surrender to any civilization but the surrender of civilization to those in control who would use any political participation as a crutch for their failure. The question is not if but when giving up on civilization will be seen as the only rational political stance. Channel TWo is a post-network media channel that begins with entertainment-based narrative as a common language. Structurally, it employs internet algorithms, viewer research and custom software to generate localized content. The outcome is a nonlinear, local media sequence that is directly connected to the community in which it is situated. Channel TWo begins after the inevitable surrender of civilization, a never-ending, visually-stimulating, product-placement-based culture stream.

Channel TWo: NYC is a 2010 commission of New Radio and Performing Arts, Inc., for its Turbulence web site. It was supported in part by public funds from the New York City Department of Cultural Affairs, in partnership with the City Council.

Adam Trowbridge explores the aesthetic possibilities that arise as communication breaks down. His work has been featured nationally and internationally including The Grey Market and Anthology Film Archives, NYC; Pleasure Dome, Toronto; The Hyde Park Center, Chicago, IL; and festivals in France, The Netherlands, Switzerland, Korea, and Russia.

Jessica Westbrook’s projects explore desire, visual cues, cultural artifacts, systems, language, and contradictory sensations that vacillate between great fortune and impending catastrophe. She has exhibited work nationally and internationally including recent and upcoming projects for: gli.tc/h/ Chicago, Nature/Nurture Kinsey Institute, Carnegie Museum, and Experimental Media Series Hirshhorn Museum of American Art Smithsonian Institute.

Trowbridge and Westbrook work with the group Basekamp on Plausible Artworlds, a project to collect and share knowledge about alternative models of creative practice.