Membership
Twitter Linkedin

Targeted Series

Adam Basanta

Since April 2020, I have been tracking, stealing, and studying my targeted ads. Trying to inverting the inherent power dynamics in which my data is sold and weaponized, in which advertisements are forced on me, I choose to pay attention; to click and shape the directions of the ads in strange ways; to capture the content that catches my eye and present it nearly unmodified. I want to imagine my targeted ads as a multi-branched plant: I water it, trim branches, shape its growth, gather its fruit, attend to its changes.

Nearly 3000 targeted ads were collected, studied, and analyzed using Machine learning and statistical processing techniques. The machine’s tools are used to analyze its own algorithmic suggestions, re-categorizing the images and building contextual relationships between them. Within and across these image subsets, I highlight gradients of continuity and salient clusters, presented through prints, video, and sculptural work. These are equally acts of algorithmic appropriation and algorithmic empathy, with one algorithm trying to understand another.

Targeted, 2020-ongoing. Archival pigment prints, video, sculpture. Variable dimension.
Targeted, 2020-ongoing. Archival pigment prints, video, sculpture. Variable dimension.
Targeted: Hands. 2022. Transfer on canvas. 18"x18".
Targeted: Hands. 2022. Transfer on canvas. 18"x18".
Targeted: Seat. 2022. 31.5"x24". Annotated archival pigment print on canvas, coloured pencils.

About the artist

Adam Basanta (b. 1985) is an artist, composer, and performer of experimental music. Born in Tel-Aviv (ISR) and raised in Vancouver (CAN), he lives and works in Montreal (CAN) since 2010.

Since 2015, his works have been exhibited in galleries and institutions including the Musée des beaux-arts de Montréal (CAN), Optica Centre d’art contermporain (CAN), Fotomuseum Winterthur (CH), Arsenal Art Contemporain (CAN), Galerie Charlot (FRA), National Art Centre Tokyo (JPN), V Moscow Biennale for Young Art (RUS), Carroll/Fletcher Gallery (UK), American Medium Gallery (NYC), Serralves Museum (POR), Edith-Russ-Haus fur Mediakunst (GER), York Art Gallery (UK), and The Center for Contemporary Arts Santa Fe (USA).

His work has been awarded several international prizes, including the Japan Media Arts Prize (2016) and the Aesthetica Art Prize (2017). In 2018 he was longlistes for the Sobey Art Award (CAN), and in 2019 he was the winner of the Prix Pierre Ayot (QC). He is currently represented by Ellephant Gallery (Montreal, CAN). His work can be found in the institutional collections of the Musée d’art contemporain de Montreal, Montreal Museum of Fine Arts, the Musée national des beaux-arts du Québec, and the Ville de Montréal.

Globe