RICHARDSON, Texas (Sept. 16, 2005) — unReal, an invitational exhibition that examines the distinction between the “real” and the “unreal,” will be presented in the main gallery of the Visual Arts Building at The University of Texas at Dallas (UTD) from Sept. 30 to Nov. 12.
The exhibition will be curated by UTD faculty member Greg Metz, who has gathered several “critically exciting” artists from across the United States for this exhibit. Participating artists include Elona Van Gent, Dennis Harper, David Krueger, Betsy Odom, Margaret Meehan, David Van Ness and Jason Cohen.
unReal will include the Southwest premiere of David Hanson’s interactive installation piece, The Resurrection of Philip K. Dick. The Wall Street Journal called Hanson’s work “the most advanced robot” of those on display at NextFest 2005 in Chicago this summer. The robot features 36 different sensors in its head just under the “skin,” enabling it to accurately portray a wide variety of different facial expressions. Its artificial intelligence is capable of sorting through all of Philip K. Dick’s published works and memoirs in order to answer participants’ questions in a realistic fashion, mimicking the wit of the renowned science fiction writer whose best-known work is Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep, which was later made into the movie Blade Runner. To add to the realism of the installation, Hanson’s robot sits in an authentic replica of Dick’s 1970’s living room. Hanson is a Ph.D. student in UTD’s Arts and Technology Program.
An opening reception will be held Friday, Sept. 30, from 6:30 p.m. to 9 p.m.
More information about the exhibition can be found at http://ah.utdallas.edu/season0506/unreal.htm.
More information about David Hanson and
The Resurrection of Phillip K. Dick can be found at http://www.hansonrobotics.com/.
Gallery hours are from 9 a.m. to 10 p.m. Monday through Friday and from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. on Saturdays. The gallery is closed Sundays and on university holidays.
For information about the many musical, arts, theatre, dance and other performances and exhibitions held throughout the year at UTD, please call 972-UTD-ARTS (972-883-2787), e-mail utdarts@utdallas.edu, or visit the School of Arts and Humanities’ Web site at http://ah.utdallas.edu/. Persons with disabilities needing special accommodations may call 972-883-2982, Texas Relay Operator: 1-800-RELAYVV.
About UTD
The University of Texas at Dallas, located at the convergence of Richardson, Plano and Dallas in the heart of the complex of major multinational technology corporations known as the Telecom Corridor, enrolls about 14,500 students. The school’s freshman class traditionally stands at the forefront of Texas state universities in terms of average SAT scores. The university offers a broad assortment of bachelor’s, master’s and doctoral degree programs. For additional information about UTD, please visit the university’s website at www.utdallas.edu.