April 3 – 27, 2014

Opening Reception: Thursday, April 3rd from 6-9pm

Artist Talk: Thursday, April 3rd at 6:30pm

A.I.R Gallery is pleased to announce New American Sweatshop, an installation by 2013-2014 Fellowship artist Amelia Marzec. This exhibition will be on view in the Fellowship Gallery from April 3 – 27, 2014. The opening reception will be held on Thursday, April 3rd from 6-9pm.

Imagine a future where the American dollar is worthless. To re-build the economy, citizens must use the only resource available: decades of post-consumer waste. With no way to afford expensive international electronics, they sift through products that have been subject to planned obsolescence for the possibility of working parts. The goal is to build a new communications infrastructure that is community-controlled and far from the prying eyes of any government.

The New American Sweatshop manifests itself as an installation that models a functioning manufacturing plant. It relies on intern labor to hand-build semi-functioning prototypes of what our technology could look like in the future. All supplies, furniture and uniforms are created from local salvaged goods.

In addition to this exhibit, Marzec will lead an intergenerational discussion on women, art, and technology on April 23, 2014.

Amelia Marzec (b. October 1980) is a Brooklyn-based artist focused on enabling activist communities through innovative uses of technology. She holds an MFA in Design and Technology from Parsons School of Design, and a BFA from Mason Gross School of the Arts. She was a resident at Eyebeam Art and Technology Center, and has shown work at Flux Factory, New York Hall of Science, MIT, and SIGGRAPH.

Image: Amelia Marzec, New American Sweatshop Products, Re-purposed materials including paper, plastic and electronics, 2” x 3.5” x .5” each, 2013-14.

A.I.R. Gallery is located at 111 Front Street, #228 in the DUMBO neighborhood of Brooklyn. Gallery hours: Wed. – Sun., 11am to 6pm. For directions please visit www.airgallery.org. For more information please contact the Interim Director, JoAnne McFarland at 212-255-6651 orinfo@airgallery.org