Iz Pehr’s Sticky Network Photo Credit: Special Arrangement
Technology has permeated almost every aspect of our lives; Ubiquitous to such an extent that we are no longer “aware” of it. Iz Pehr, a Berlin-based media artist, works in spaces where virtuality and materiality intersect. Ize was in Bengaluru as part of a Bangaloreresidency at the Goethe Institute, and she partnered with the National Center for Biological Sciences for the purpose of this project.
Titled ‘Sticky Networks’, Iz’s work focuses on networks, particularly the Internet and its precursor, the telegraph. It explores the environmental and social implications of technology through the lens of history.
“My work is not only about infrastructure, but also raises questions about disability, accessibility and technology,” Iz says. “The main project brings together stories across the network. One is on Internet infrastructures and their materiality, while the other is on network ecology – how network infrastructures meet and interact. I am also looking at the trees and internet cables in the city as they provide a framework for these means of communication.
Is Pehar Photo Credit: Special Arrangement
One of the principles of Ize’s work is how an architecture first in use for the telegraph system became the roadmap or blueprint for Internet cabling.
One of the many activities he organized for Sticky Network was an event at Cubbon Park. “A practical workshop and network walk took place in the park with 25 participants. We tied wire around a tree and then everyone moved until they were within range of the hotspot I had opened on my phone. The area was mapped and the resulting work was called the Hot Spot Constellation.
Another piece created by Iz is on the network in the city. “I focused on the cables passing through Indiranagar and noticed those on the roads. Later, I printed screenshots of these roads on fabric and then traced the path of the cables on it.
Iz Pehr’s Sticky Network Photo Credit: Special Arrangement
Iz believes that the subject matter of the materiality and materiality of networks often goes unnoticed, “and when they go unnoticed, the politics around them also go unnoticed.” She further tells how many trees which were part of the telegraph network have been cut till now. When the technology became obsolete, the trees that were integral to their functioning were no longer considered important.
Ironically, through his work, Ize has discovered that today’s Internet cable network is similar to a telegraph map in terms of structure and routing. Proficient in computer languages such as HTML, CSS and JavaScript, she uses fabric, yarn and other materials as well as digital printing on fabric to create her work.
Iz says his fascination with the Internet began when it became a household phenomenon. “I was about 10 years old when the Internet became a part of our lives and gradually, I was amazed to see what kind of access it allowed, as well as what things it restricted.”
“In Germany, it is easy to overlook that the Internet infrastructure is physical because it is a given and people do not question it, whereas in India, cables and other systems are quite obvious. Germany probably has a similar network of cables, but they are not as visible because they are laid underground. That’s why I was interested in the immediate reality of structure.”
Iz Pehar and his team are working on sticky networks. Photo Credit: Special Arrangement
“In any city, I usually see where cables, routers and towers are part of the landscape. Even when they are underground, one can still see manifestations of Internet infrastructure, even if they look different in different countries. That sparked my interest in India,” she adds.
As a media artist and designer, Iz says a lot of her work involves media installation and the use of haptics, technology and the sense of touch.
Sticky Networks by Iz Pehr is available at stickynetworks.net
published – December 31, 2024 01:30 PM IST
