New York City is often cited as an international arts capital, to the extent that curatorial efforts and press coverage of artists and shows here often overshadow work made elsewhere. (A fact of which Rhizome tries to be aware in covering international arts events.) But there are plenty of talented artists looking to share the spotlight in the rest of New York state, and the public exhibition "Plugged In" highlights several working in new media. Of the fifteen artists participating in the show (Greg Lock, Mark Gregory, Giorgio Handman, Kathe Izzo, Ingrid Ludt, Jesse Matulis, Josh Pelletier, Jillian McDonald, Michael Oatman, Fernando Orellana, Jonathan Osofsky + Jasdeep Gosal, Christine Sciulli, Bart Woodstrup + Chip Fasciana, and Bryan Zanisnik), only three hail from the Big Apple, while the rest of this diverse bunch reside in New Paltz, Albany, Cohoes, Troy, and Hudson, New York. From May 17th-31st, their work will be viewable in open spaces and non-arts venues along Warren Street, Hudson's main thoroughfare. Installing these projects as public art presents a unique challenge, given that most of them are electronic and highly conceptual. Curator Melissa Stafford selected the artists based on their "drive to bring about shifts in our perception of the union [between science and the humanities] and a general desire to take us by surprise." It seems safe to assume that a robot invasion of Main Street, USA is the kind of endeavor that turns a few heads. Kudos to Hudson to opening the dialogue to make new media art a part of the locals' everyday experience. - Marisa Olson
Image Credit: Fernando Orellana, Sleep Waking, 2008