Life and Death in the Era of Drones

WATERLOO, ON – The Kindred Credit Union Centre for Peace Advancement will launch its latest Grebel Gallery exhibit, “The Cultural Life of Drones: KW Drone Dialogues” with a reception at 7:00 PM on November 14, 2019. Created by Sara Matthews, Associate Professor in Global Studies at Wilfrid Laurier University, this exhibit explores the myriad of ways in which drones are embedded into our everyday lives, as well as our ideas about the kinds of life and death that drones make.

Matthews employs installation and documentary photography in this site-specific exhibition as a way of generating dialogue about the logistics and practices associated with drone technologies in the Waterloo region. “The intent,” says Matthews, “is to create a conversation about the ways in which drone technologies contribute to the making of culture and how these relations might be apprehended via an aesthetic lens.” This multimedia installation transcends the boundaries of traditional art, inviting community members to explore their assumptions about the use of drones.

Located in the Kindred Credit Union Centre for Peace Advancement at Conrad Grebel University College, the Grebel Gallery provides a space for artists and community members to craft, record, map, and perform stories of peacebuilding. The Centre itself serves as a hub for innovative peacebuilding organizations such as Project Ploughshares.

One of Ploughshares’ Senior Researchers, Branka Marijan, was interviewed for the exhibit, lending her expertise in military and security implications of emerging technologies to Matthews’ conceptual framing. “This exhibit empowers ordinary citizens to question the growing normalization of certain uses of drones, including surveillance and military applications,” notes Marijan.

For inquiries about the exhibit and launch reception, contact Kirsten Mosey at cpa.communications@uwaterloo.ca or 519-885-0220 x24204.

This exhibit will run until April 24, 2020.

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Thursday, November 14, 2019 at 7:00pm
Exhibit Launch
The Cultural Life of Drones: KW Drone Dialogues
Conrad Grebel University College, Kindred Credit Union Centre for Peace Advancement
140 Westmount Rd.  Waterloo, ON
Registration requested