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EXHIBITION -

SILK TO SILICON

Backlit Gallery, Nottingham /
House of Annetta, Brick Lane
Date -
25.02.22 - 25.03.22

'They said Ned Ludd was an idiot boy. That all he could do was wreck & destroy. He turned to his workmates and said: Death to Machines! They tread on our futures and they stamp on our dreams.’
- Robert Calvert

1779. The Luddites waged war against machinery as their craft was threatened by automated looms. They destroyed mechanical apparatus across England in protest against machines 'hurtful to commonality'.

Nearly 250 years later the ghost of Ned Ludd haunts us, his looms weave repeat patterns as we behold the 4th industrial revolution. Are we to witness a Luddite revivalism?

Silk To Silicon is the debut solo show of artist and designer Sebastian Koseda, spotlighting tensions between automation, ethics and environmental responsibility throughout English history and into tomorrow.

Today, exponential acceleration threatens jobs, crafts and livelihoods whilst simultaneously defining new realities. Be futureproof or be futureless.


Supported using public fundings by Arts Council England.


The Silk to Silicon exhibition was originally on display at BACKLIT Gallery, Nottingham, 2022 before being presented in 2023 at The House of Annetta, Brick Lane.

For more information please visit -
https://silktosiliconshow.com

The website showcases key exhibited works and features commissioned essays by Alan Willey and Maya Gulieva and a visual essay by Armando De Cosmos.


Featured in -
Design Week
DesignBoom
Arts Council news
Left lion magazine
Eye Magazine
Art Rabbit
Notts TV - TV interview

Special Thanks To Assemble Studio

Thankyou to the outstanding team that helped me make this body of work a reality -

James Rogers - Sound design
Jake Horgan - Sound Design
Sally Holditch - Weaving Support
Sam Wibberley - Laser cutting & Fabrication
Will Fairbrother - 3d & animation support

KitMapper Team -
Dave Charlesworth
Al Leeming
Benjamin Redgrove
Ashley Yuqi Zhang

Backlit Gallery -
Matthew Chesney
Suzanne Golden
Jazz Swali

Publication Contributors -
Alan Willey
Armando De Cosmos
Maya Gulieva

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Dark room with three lighted display cases on stands showing electronic circuit boards and a large screen at the back projecting an orange robotic arm schematic, surrounded by piles of small blue objects.Dimly lit industrial gallery space with white columns and hanging black banners displaying phrases including 'THE MARCH OF THE MACHINES' and 'RIGHTS FOR ROBOTS'.Interactive table display with panels showing white dot patterns on red backgrounds, resembling circuit or data visualizations.Hand holding an orange invitation card for Sebastian Kseda's 'Silk To Silicon' private event from 25 Feb to 27 Mar 2022.Close-up of an orange robotic arm with black motor components and a flexible black cable, overlaying a simple black line drawing of a robotic mechanism.Modern office with glass walls displaying banners that read 'RIGHTS FOR ROBOTS' and Japanese characters, with green plants and desks inside.Braille dots spelling 'braille' over a desert landscape with sun setting behind dunes.Top-down view of a spiral staircase with ornate black banners hanging above a patterned circular floor surrounded by classical white columns and statues.Seven drones flying in formation between two glass buildings with cranes reflected, each carrying black flags with white text.A person stands in a dimly lit room facing a large screen showing an orange robotic arm with attached devices, surrounded by piles of blue packing peanuts and a white table with illuminated text.
Stack of orange exhibition booklets titled 'Sebastian Koseda - Sick To Silicon' with braille and Arts Council England logo.Dimly lit exhibition room with lighted display tables showcasing circuit boards and a window view of a building facade with signs reading 'RIGHTS FOR ROBOTS'.Three black banners hanging in an industrial space with white text reading 'THE MARCH OF THE MACHINES', pixelated Japanese characters, and 'RIGHTS FOR ROBOTS'.
Orange textile artwork featuring a historical figure and a crowd, displayed next to an informational panel about the Silk to Silicon exhibition.White sandwich board with a bright orange poster advertising Sebastian Koseda's Silicone exhibition from 25 Feb to 27 Mar 2022 in front of a closed black metal shutter.Brick wall with a black-and-white segmented poster of a person wearing a hat and pointing, partially covered by an orange event sign for Sebastian Koseda’s Silicøn from 25 Feb to 27 Mar 2022.People socializing in an industrial-style indoor space with white columns and exposed ceiling pipes.Red invitation card for exhibition 'Silk to Silicon' by Sebastian Koseda from 25 Feb to 27 Mar 2022 at Backlit Gallery, Nottingham, with raised Braille dots.Man in a black jacket sitting on a black chair in a studio with a brick wall, watching a large screen showing a man wearing a cap during a video call.Orange robotic arm with four black control boxes against a light background with a schematic drawing behind.