This visually dynamic collection of moving-image works presents four artists’ unique perspectives on Techspressionism, a global, community-driven art movement that embraces technology as a tool for emotional and aesthetic exploration. Drawing connections to 20th-century Expressionism, the movement values subjectivity, innovation, and individual voice—channeled through the tools of the 21st century.

Interior Landscape by Colin Goldberg: Borrowing ideas from Abstract Expressionism and Surrealism, the artist applies early 20th Century principles in a digital context. The abstract movement of colorful geometry leaves the piece intentionally open to endless interpretation. Score by Paul D Miller (aka DJ Spooky).

Souffles Pastels (Pastel Sighs) by Renata Janiszewska: This piece presents a stylized femininity through the eyes of a modern-day romantic. A palette of blush pinks, powder blues, and creams evokes traditional fashions. Intricate textures like lace and embroidery reference heritage and domestic arts. Portraiture co-exists with abstraction, suggestive of femininity’s responses to social changes.

Mycorrhizal by Karen LaFleur: This piece takes its name from a type of symbiotic relationship between plants and fungi, in which both organisms benefit from combining their root structures. With visuals that appear as organic circuitry, the piece grows and moves through rapid changes. Score by Nancy Tucker.

SONIC FLIGHT: Towards Peace by Jan Swinburne: As a site-specific iteration of the artist’s larger SONIC FLIGHT project, this piece transforms a harsh sound into a place of blue serenity. The slow-moving visual is derived from the waveform image of a sonic boom recorded as a war jet flew over the Toronto Air Show.

Stream is a Renaissance-style silent composition of a very large crowd pausing to witness something captivating yet unnamed. Featuring over 150 individuals, including many Chicagoans, the artwork draws a frame around the notion of community and the shared experiences that make up daily life in a large city.

“How does a city heal from being separated for so long, when so much of its interactions are in person, face to face? I created this idea after waiting for my first train ride post-pandemic. It was beautiful to see faces again, to see people smile and scream and cry on the subway. I wanted to capture this feeling of beauty and anxiety.”
— Gabriel Barcia-Colombo

Within the artwork, some observers stand in contemplative thought while others snap photos of the awe-inspiring subject, intentionally omitted from the screen. Are these individuals merely observing, or are they participating in something sublime, confounding, or even disturbing? Evocative of a Greek chorus, which comments on collective hopes, fears and joys, Stream turns the tables on the dynamic between spectacle and audience. Moreover, it serves as a reflection on the barometers of social connection, often overshadowed by our mobile devices and technological distractions.

Learn more about this project here.