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New Hannah Sawtell Exhibition
Tom Marsh , April 20th, 2016 13:36

Cross-media artist brings @dividend_plus to Sheffield; makes new currency

A new exhibition by cross-media artist Hannah Sawtell has opened at Sheffield's Site Gallery.

Commissioned by Art Sheffield 2016, @dividend_plus is the London-based Sawtell’s first solo presentation in the North of England, and is themed around interconnectedness on a global and local level, excess and access.

For the piece Sawtell has created a new form of money called Dividend, a “people’s currency” for Sheffield that recalls nascent cryptocurrencies like Bitcoin. Dividend can be acquired through an open source application of the artists’ own design and exchanged, like Bitcoin, online – and whenever this happens, via an algorithm, the computer-generated visual content of the exhibition is changed.

Sawtell has also used her musicianship to create an electronic sound work which is played throughout, piped through bespoke speakers the artist collaborated on with specialist manufacturers. Strobe lighting also designed by Sawtell enhances the atmosphere.

Sawtell will also be joining My Disco on the London date of their European tour, presented by us, no less. Catch her on May 30 at Corsica Studios with the Melbourne-based trio, as well as a DJ set by our own Sophie Coletta. Tickets can be bought via TicketABC and WeGotTickets.

@dividend_plus will be running at Site Gallery until June 4.