The sculpture shows a strong hooded youth through which collected data and information flows. A towering beautiful hooded sculpture; Youth Culture visualises visitor data it receives on mini screens and light illumination built into the sculpture. The tall figure,who’s hoodie challenges our assumptions about social alienation - captivating its audience and challenging visitors perceptions around anti-social behaviour and our collective ability to create safe public spaces for all. This Hooded Youth is presented as a symbol of belonging, rather than something to be feared. Digitally interactive, the artwork embraces public participation and encourages engagement with its technological system, which feeds in intelligence so that Youth Culture becomes a symbolic memory bank of place and experience. The lights respond to data from Manchester which includes the bus positions via gps, rail times, river flows and pollution levels which all respond and illuminate the sculpture, with LEDs behaviours changing as a generative system inspired by the city. Once the data is processed and ‘read’ it’s portrayed as illuminated streams, coursing through the wire works with graffiti and poetics.

The sculpture is a hybrid steel structure with custom electronics. The artistic ideas have evolved to include embedded cameras and dozens of tiny screens which has stronger links to paranoia of the data and surveillance landscape of which we are all now observed. The main technical and conceptual idea embeds the use of Leds controlled by city data with a second system of embedded micro cameras onto CCTV screens. The future body will contain this technology our children will be embedded with sensors and cameras and quantitative data. The sculpture places the audience inside the artwork on a personal level while responding to wider concerns of collective space. The female figure stands tall and proud to face this future. Commissioned by Quays Culture and first shown at Media City UK in Manchester England 2018. Thanks to I + A, Lucy Dusgate, Ian Steele, Pillow Space Frame, Amber Stanza. Technical. The whole artwork and all systems are custom made from 3d scan, the 20 screens, 20 cameras, 20 cases and all cables, software data controllers and power units.

The work is available for touring.

Exhibitions.
Lightwaves 2018 Media City Manchester UK
Light Night Worcester. 2020
Light Up Leicester. 2020

Technical Requirements Youth Culture is 3658mm (12ft) tall in total. The sculpture is 3048mm (10ft) tall and sits on a 609mm (2ft) plinth. It weighs approximately 700kg. Installation takes half a day. We are able to provide transport(in the UK) and equipment to hoist the artwork into position, but you may need to hire a fork lift depending on the location. You will be required to provide 2 crew members to assist the install and de-rig. Equipment to store: The case that the sculpture travels in will need to be stored. The measurements of this are: Length: 4000, Width: 1300, Depth: 1500 Power requirements: 230v feed via CEE Form 16A input.