'A Butterfly and a Horse' by Clare Strand

The Sotheby’s Institute of Art Reimagining the Monument project commission 'A Butterfly and a Horse' by Clare Strand premieres at the Victoria and Albert Museum during Digital Design Weekend 2024.

Sotheby's Institute of Art's Reimagining the Monument project is delighted to invite you to join us at the premiere of 'A Butterfly and a Horse' by Clare Strand at the Victoria and Albert Museum Digital Design Weekend 2024.

Opening times
Friday, September 20, 2024. 6:30 PM - 9:30 PM GMT
Saturday, September 21 - Sunday 22 September, 2024. 10:30 AM - 4:30 PM GMT

Drop-in but places to participate will be designated on a first come, first-served basis.

Reimagining the Monument
The Reimagining the Monument project reconsiders what and how we monumentalize in our culture. It represents the second commission that Sotheby's Institute of Art MA students have curated and produced under the guidance of industry experts.

About the Work
A Butterfly and a Horse is a participatory artwork that invites visitors to expose their own analogue photograph to reveal two images generated by Al, trained on Strand's photographic practice. In 2012, the artist moved away from analogue photography as a response to an increasing proliferation of digital imagery. Using her (now defunct) darkroom enlarger, participants will create their own analogue print which will then be physically posted to them, along with an invitation to share their images on the 'Butterfly and Horse' Instagram site. Inspired by a formative 19th-century experiment in electronic transmission which used images of a butterfly and a horse, Strand's provocative gesture responds to complex debates around monumental images, memory, authenticity, authorship, circulation, and collaboration.

About Digital Design Week
The Digital Design Weekend is V&A's flagship event on digital cultures exploring the impact and influence of technology in society and culture - placing an emphasis on collaboration, participation, and critical response. Taking place during London Design Festival, the event brings together artists, designers, researchers and technologists who take over the Museum with pop-up and interactive installations, immersive experiences, creative electronics, performances, talks, workshops and more.

Curatorial Team
MA students (Emma Ampelia Alessi Anghini, Jimena Sancho Beltran, Nicola Giovanni De Preaulx Confuorti, Annette Panthiyage Fernando, Michalina Franasik, Francisca Gomez Guerrero, Alessandro Manetti, Sandra Nikusev, Mora Pranteda, Anastassia Taylor) working with industry experts Dr. Amy Mechowski, Hannah Redler-Hawes, Dr. Tom Snow, and Grace Caldwell for Sotheby's Institute of Art as well as the V&A Digital Design Weekend team.