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"Share Location", Silverlens, Manila, 2021

June 26 - July 24, 2016 Developed over the last year while transitioning his studio from New York to Manila, Clar’s new body of work derives its title from the communication function of digital devices wherein the real-world GPS location of the device (and the person using it) is transmitted to other programs, apps, or people. It is a way of letting your presence be known, shared, or be tracked. The works question ideas of presence, connection, and identity in a globalized world recently forced into a fifth space, where the rift between network time and solar time is ever increasing. Working at the interstices of art and technology James Clar’s multifaceted global studio practice creates space for an abstract analysis into ideas inspired by the digital and human lived experience. Having held studios in multiple overlapping cities, which have ranged from Dubai, New York, Tokyo, and now Manila, Clar maps out alternative transcultural and transnational connections that transcend geographical borders and encourages fresh perspectives on the migration of art and ideas. Engaging with a variety of arts media ranging from installation, performance, and sculpture, Clar has experimented with the notion of the ‘readymade ’and has explored the visual language of the sculptural form as a study into post-objecthood. This has allowed him to observe and relay the variable conditions of social and subjective spaces and explore ideas related to symbol and abstraction, the celestial and terrestrial, and history and discontinuity. Clar’s works readily invite audience participation to explore technological innovation as a poetic tool for contemplating competing value systems. In this context his multifaceted art moves beyond the argument of “technology for technology’s sake” and “art for art’s sake,” to highlight the union of art and technology, which cannot be divorced from the contemporary practices of daily life. It allows us another way to contend with the liminal pandemic environment, polarization of truth, disparities in wealth and land, and the impact of fast speed globalization on the environment at large. These ideas operate as the basis for a new body of work that Clar created between New York and Manila during the pandemic and serve as an archive for a transitory history that cross-circulated the entire globe. Words by Sara Raza.

Artwork in "Share Location", Silverlens, Manila, 2021

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  1. Ball & Chain # 3 by James Clar, Image 4.

    Ball & Chain # 3, 2021

    104.14 x 105.41 x 111.76 cm (41.0 x 41.5 x 44.0 in)

  2. AMERICA (US flag) by James Clar, Image 1.

    AMERICA (US flag), 2022

    Safety reflective fabric. Edition of 3 + AP.

    247 x 130 cm (97.24 x 51.18 in)

  3. Run Dog Wild by James Clar, Image 1.

    Run Dog Wild, 2021

    Single channel video (00:24:00 min loop), no sound. Edition of 3 + 2 AP.

  4. Without You There's Less Data (Cloud) by James Clar, Image 1.

    Without You There's Less Data (Cloud), 2021

    TVs, mini-computers, custom software, acrylic case. Unique.

    40.01 x 40.01 x 9.53 cm (15.75 x 15.75 x 3.75 in)

  5. Without You There's Less Data (Eclipse) by James Clar, Image 1.

    Without You There's Less Data (Eclipse), 2021

    TVs, mini-computers, custom software, acrylic case. Unique.

    40.01 x 40.01 x 9.53 cm (15.75 x 15.75 x 3.75 in)

  6. Without You There's Less Data (Lens Flare) by James Clar, Image 1.

    Without You There's Less Data (Lens Flare), 2021

    TVs, mini-computers, custom software, acrylic case. Unique.

    40.01 x 40.01 x 9.53 cm (15.75 x 15.75 x 3.75 in)

  7. A New Day / A New Night by James Clar, Image 1.

    A New Day / A New Night, 2021

    2 airport terminal TVs, mini-computers, custom software. Edition of 3.

    72 x 125 cm (28.35 x 49.21 in)

  8. The City Sings At Night by James Clar, Image 1.

    The City Sings At Night, 2020

    Single channel video (00:05:00 min. seamless loop), 8-channel sync video, 8 mini-controllers, 8 TVs, 2 karaoke speakers with microphones, ethernet router. Unique

  9. Lawnmower Man by James Clar, Image 1.

    Lawnmower Man, 2016

    Projector, video, lightbulb, microcontroller. Edition of 3 + 1 AP.

  10. Sun Prism (Hanging Tensegrity) by James Clar, Image 2.

    Sun Prism (Hanging Tensegrity), 2021

    16 LEDs, custom filters, wire, model ship. Unique.

    322.58 x 107.95 x 107.95 cm (127.0 x 42.5 x 42.5 in)

  11. Hey I'm Walking Here by James Clar, Image 6.

    Hey I'm Walking Here, 2020

    Single channel video (00:06:30 min. loop), no sound, TV, TV box. Edition of 3.