黑料不打烊

Ikon presents an exhibition of new work by British artists Ben Langlands and Nikki Bell, marking the 40th year of their artistic partnership which started in 1978 while studying Fine Art at Middlesex Polytechnic, London. Featuring the new iconic architecture of the global technology companies such as Apple, Facebook, Alibaba and Google, the exhibition includes a new series of relief sculptures, installations, digital animations and portraits that explore the increasingly profound influence they have on our lives in the age of 鈥楤ig Data鈥�. At first sight the futuristic appearances of the new headquarters of the internet giants characterise the digital age, yet the designs often rely for their impact and power on ancient typologies. Will the new Apple Headquarters in California designed by Norman Foster 鈥� a vast circular building nicknamed 鈥淭he Spaceship鈥� 鈥� rival the Colosseum or Stonehenge? The artist-duo often work from plans and architectural drawings they research online 鈥� including buildings that are yet to be completed. A new Ikon commission, Google, Charleston East (2018) is a huge model of Google鈥檚 new global HQ under construction at Mountain View in California. A monumental new wall painting, Your Thoughts Construct Patterns Like Scaffolding In Your Mind (2018), is based on a quote by Steve Jobs, co-founder of Apple, and is produced in collaboration with Birmingham based street artist Dan Newso. The exhibition also includes a series of portraits of the 鈥楳asters of the Universe鈥�, founders and CEOs of the Internet Giants including Bill Gates, Mark Zuckerberg, Jeff Bezos, Sergey Brin and Steve Jobs appearing as religious icons for the digital age accompanied by their own words: 鈥淚鈥檓 trying to make the world a more open place鈥� (Mark Zuckerberg).