NEoN will present the work of Scottish based artist B.D. Owens within the Kepler Gardens – Ars Electronica’s new online festival venue for 2020.

NEoN’s current theme is ‘Share, Share Alike’, through which artists will address the shared connections between the local and the global, the rethinking of environmental systems, and machine learning and shared data-sets.

For Ars Electronica’s Kepler Gardens, NEoN invited artist B.D. Owens to discuss the sharing of private and public space in relation to wider environmental and societal ecologies, in the context of surveillance technology – all live on Youtube.  Gare Loch Duality and the #UndesiredLine were developed by B.D. Owens to reflect on the complicated reality of living in close proximity to the faslane nuclear submarine base. The work involves an interactive guided walk and conversation piece with leading UK research psychologists. 

Over the course of 50 days in 2018, B.D. Owens undertook a daily performative pilgrimage from his house to the main gate of the naval base – in total covering 224 miles. During the daily walks he drew an ‘Undesired Line’, with his body, along the ground next to the perimeter fence – with the fence, the surveillance operations and the ecosystem surrounding the base all becoming part of the artwork. He continues to expand this artwork using video, sound and writing. The viewer can follow, and engage with, the interactive element of this work on Twitter at the hashtag #UndesiredLine. 

Programme for Live Event

10:30am Gare Loch Duality and the #UndesiredLine: Duration 30 mins

B.D. Owens takes the viewer on an interactive wander through the landscape, artistic process and historical context of his ongoing, multifaceted project Gare Loch Duality and the #UndesiredLine.

11:00am Psychological Impacts of Surveillance: within the context of Gare Loch Duality and the #UndesiredLine: Duration 30 mins

Multi-disciplinary artist, B. D. Owens, in conversation with Professor David Harper & Dr Darren Ellis (University of East London) about the psychological impacts of surveillance, within the context of Gare Loch Duality and the #UndesiredLine.

11:30am Live discussion and Q&A with B. D. Owens and NEoN Director Donna Holford-Lovell