“Drone Beuys” is a collaborative, non-gender specific gesture at the extension of technology as a contemporary reference to the conceptual artist Joseph Beuys, and fashioning of myth in our shared practice.

Our work heavily involves the use of drones, aerial and underwater, with a focus on how artists operate within a scientific fieldwork setting or expedition framework. Past residencies at Herhúsið in Siglufjörður, Iceland and subsequent multi-media exhibitions are concrete demonstrations of this. Our roles in a university environment also play into our collaborative interdisciplinary practice as we actively work with anthropologists, scientists, strategic communicators, dancers, musicians, and engineers. We are fascinated with unique landscape formations and how they might be non-invasively, holistically mapped, with aerial photography or laser scanning. Of chief interest are places that connect us to other planets, real or imagined. As a historical reference, NASA’s past use of sites in Iceland to prepare astronauts for moon landings or current sites in the American West that are being used as testing for Mars exploration further our shared interest in the confluence of reality and simulated landscape.

As we compile an archive of material from our collaborative trips and personal practices, we have often found a collapsing of spaces and places into a new virtual world. This extensive mapping allows for a secondary exploration in a digital realm as we produce videos for audience immersion, digitally fabricated/3D printed artifacts, or new art works in a traditional exhibition format. We love to share our working knowledge of using drones and technology in art as we engage with the surrounding landscape.

Contact: n.bontrager AT tcu.edu or adam.fung AT tcu.edu