All Life Communicates

Exhibition from April 15 to June 5, 2022

“At the end of the day, we all belong to one tribe, the Earthlings.” - Jill Tarter, astronomer

This New York based multidisciplinary artist based in New York marries science, science fiction and art history to explore the challenges facing our society and our species. George Bolster studies language, specifically the developments of a form of communication between humans and other life forms. His kinetic mobiles are inspired by exchanges with NASA's Kepler mission, the SETI Institute (specialized in the search for extraterrestrial intelligence) and the American astrophysicist Laurance Doyle. Developed during the artist's residency at the CCI, Paris, France in 2019, this installation is accompanied by his new film, Communication: We Are Not The Only Ones Talking….

Bolster combines science, science fiction, and art history to explore the challenges we face as a sustainable society, and as a sustainable species with a future on this planet. Communication: We are not the only ones talking… or Ulysses: Animal Syntax and Non-human Intelligence (2022)  he examines language and the possibilities of understanding other life forms on earth, and signals from earthlike planets. His discussions with NASA scientists, astronomers from the Search for Extraterrestrial Intelligence Institute, and the biologists from the Alaska Whale Foundation, have informed the works throughout this exhibition. The discovery of syntax (complex language) in humpback whales and bottlenose dolphins, has foregrounded questions of how we interact with other species, and how we readdress our place in both nature and evolution.

Bolster’s research during his residency at the Search for Extraterrestrial Intelligence Institute (SETI) has influenced many of the works in this exhibition. In We are neither above nor apart from nature, he examines what many scientists now concur is an artificial bias on behalf of humans, since Darwin’s numerous writings on the theory of evolution. The piece begs the question, if we live within our ecosystem whilst doing massive damage to it, are we really the pinnacle of evolution? 

Since the Kepler Missions conducted by NASA there have been more than 4,000 planets found in our Galaxy, each star is a sun and each 1.7 stars has its own planets. The wonder and awe of this is excavated by Bolster in a series of science fiction based portrayals of planetary atmospheres. The artist is interested what has often begun as science fiction has continually become reality. Here he explores the possibilities of a fictional planet, which could look like Earth, except for its fantastical color range. As science fiction in film is dependent on the American South-West, he uses this landscape as the source material for his fabricated assemblages. 

In this film scientist Laurance Doyle who proved syntax in humpback whales, found the first circumbinary planet on the NASA Kepler Missions, and is currently examining language with the aim of recognizing alien signals at (SETI) the Search for Extraterrestrial Intelligence Institute); and Fred Sharpe, biologist and Principle Investigator at The Alaska Whale Foundation were interviewed for this meditative expanded film by George Bolster. It explores efforts to understand whale language, their collaborative hunting practices, and communication structures. Reminiscent of expeditions conducted in nature the viewer needs to look at different screens to find different appearances of these elusive leviathans. Doyle discusses Ziph’s Law which was proved initially through the examination of James Joyce’s Ulysses, and acknowledging this, Bolster uses the epic section of Leopold Bloom’s stream of consciousness on water from the novel to reflect on this initial experiment, and the cross pollination of knowledge. 

Footage collected under Research Permit NMFS No. 19703. Thanks to The Alaska Whale Foundation and to SETI.

Survival Value: Whales mimicking us, us interrupting them (2022). Ribbon and wall. Installation view at CCI, Paris, France.