Carolyn Tennant, an electronic arts doctoral candidate from Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, has curated the first American solo retrospective of the pioneering British audiovisual artist Vicki Bennett for Hallwalls Contemporary Arts Center in Buffalo, New York. The show, a meditation on interconnectedness and isolation, features a gallery installation, an online survey of Bennett’s videos, and a series of artworks curated by Bennett for WFMU, an independent community radio station from East Orange, New Jersey. Recombining scenes from Hollywood films, Bennett’s two-channel video installation reveals a longing for human connection, aptly reflecting our current condition.

“Vicki Bennett’s 30-year career as a ground-breaking audiovisual artist, curator, and DJ has been celebrated across the globe and it’s an honor to present her first exhibition in the United States,” Tennant said. “In her work, Bennett uses collage to recombine elements of popular culture — such as Hollywood films — to create new worlds that blend humor with an underlying anxiety, resulting in art that captures what we are currently collectively feeling.”

In her studies at Rensselaer, Tennant has worked under the guidance of Kathy High, a professor of arts in the School of Humanities, Arts, and Social Sciences.

“Tennant’s contributions to this exhibition not only further the history of electronic arts, but also investigate artistic innovation into the digital audio experimentation of Bennett’s own works,” High said. “To successfully curate a complex exhibition like this in a time of virtual viewing shows a depth of talent that will serve Tennant well in the future.”

The show, People Like Us/Vicki Bennett: First Person, Fourth Wall, runs through October 23, 2020. The commissions and elements from the onsite exhibition are archived at WFMU.org from September 11, 2020, alongside visual elements on the accompanying web pages, which will be linked to QR codes in the accompanying gallery brochure.