Matt Kenyon & Osman Khan @ MOCAD

(in)Habitation
June 7 — July 28, 2013
Museum of Contemporary Art Detroit
4454 Woodward Ave Detroit MI, 48201 

Curated by Gregory Tom and featuring the work of Jason Ferguson, Osman Khan and Matt Kenyon, (in)Habitation aims to consider (and reconsider) the concept of ​“domesticity”. Ubiquitous elements of the home – for instance, a table and chairs, a houseplant or a simple beam – are altered or subverted by complex ideas about faith, the current mortgage crisis, globalization and even classic American representations of family fun. The sculptural works featured are both serious and playful. They engage through movement, flashing lights and the spectacular, but ultimately lead us to question our existing biases and assumptions about what the idea of ​“home” really means.

Jason J. Ferguson​’s work reflects on the relationship between art, science and experience, juxtaposing seemingly unrelated subjects to create performance, video and sculptural work. Ferguson is an assistant professor in the Art Department of Eastern Michigan University, where he teaches sculpture and 3‑D design.

Matt Kenyon is interested in the convergence of art, emerging technologies and popular culture. His recent works often feature wearable computing technologies or robotics to express a cultural critique. He is an associate professor in the Penny W. Stamps School of Art & Design at the University of Michigan, where he teaches physical computing, video and 3D animation.

Osman Khan​’s constructed artifacts, interactive installations and site-specific interventions convey the way in which technology shapes our understanding of identity, communication and public space. Khan is an assistant professor at the Penny W. Stamps School of Art & Design at the University of Michigan, where he teaches computational media, sculpture and social practice.

Video: Cloud, by Matt Kenyon

Miniature artificial house shaped clouds are created ​‘on the fly’ in order to critique the global fallout as a result of the bursting of the US housing bubble. Size and frequency of cloud generation render local housing capacity to consumption ratios into a stream of lighter than air clouds.

The work consists of a mobile enclosure that uses a special surfactant infused with helium and air to extrude artificial clouds into the air. Local housing data related to housing capacity vs consumption controls the timing of the cloud generation.