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From Thomas & Craighead's exhibition. A screen shows a pixelated but colourful pattern in pink, orange, yellow and green.

Thomson & Craighead

Maps DNA and Spam

18 January - 16 March 2014

We were delighted to welcome back artists Thomson & Craighead to DCA for our first exhibition of 2014. Maps DNA and Spam features new work (Dundee Wall and The First Person) and a selection of older work including The Time Machine in alphabetical order, Belief and A short film about War.

A mural from Thomas & Craighead's exhibition. Red and black text says 'Ok, Eat clean day tea was fine until tea date! My thighs gonna need divorced at this rate

Much of Thomson & Craighead’s recent work looks at how communications networks like the worldwide web are changing the way we relate to the world around us - the conflict between our private and public identities, the tension between the global and the local and the way in which modern communications inform our sense of place and self in the world.

The exhibition includes new two new works: The First Person (2013), an endless stream of first person statements taken from American self-help websites, randomly intercut with found video footage of a burning house; and Dundee Wall (2014) a poetic snapshot of social networking traffic from within this city, published as typeset posters and pasted up within DCA.

Two earlier works in the exhibition draw on information found entirely online: A Short Film about War (2009) is a narrative documentary artwork which takes viewers around the world to a variety of war zones as seen through the collective eyes of the online photo sharing community Flickr, and as witnessed by a variety of existing military and civilian bloggers; while Belief (2011-12) presents a series of fragmented broadcasts about faith, all sourced from the video sharing community YouTube.

Other works on display include The Time Machine in Alphabetical Order (2010) a complete re-edit of the 1960s film version of HG Wells Novella reconfigured by the artists into alphabetical order from beginning to end.

Artist Video | Thomson & Craighead on Maps DNA and Spam

A projector in DCA Galleries from Thomas & Craighead's exhibition shows a vintage film of a man sitting at a futuristic looking device.

About the artists

Jon Thomson, born 1969, and Alison Craighead, born 1971, studied at Duncan of Jordanstone College of Art in Dundee and now live and work in Scotland and London. Jon Thomson is Reader in Fine Art at The Slade School of Fine Art, University College London, while Alison Craighead is Reader in Visual Culture and Contemporary Art at University of Westminster and lectures in Fine Art at Goldsmiths University London. Thomson & Craighead have been working together since 1993. Recent exhibitions include MEWO Kunsthalle, Memmingen and Carroll/Fletcher, London.

Thomson & Craighead: Exhibition Notes

Click here to download the Exhibition Note for Thomson & Craighead: Maps DNA and Spam
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Exhibition images

A mural from Thomas & Craighead's exhibition. Red and black text says 'Ok, Eat clean day tea was fine until tea date! My thighs gonna need divorced at this rate
A projector in DCA Galleries from Thomas & Craighead's exhibition shows a man wearing a hat and a raincoat talking.
From Thomas & Craighead's exhibition. Two visitors to DCA Galleries look at multiple TV screens which show slightly different image of mountains and clouds.
From Thomas & Craighead's exhibition. A screen shows a pixelated but colourful pattern in pink, orange, yellow and green.
A projector in DCA Galleries from Thomas & Craighead's exhibition shows a vintage film of a man sitting at a futuristic looking device.
From Thomas & Craighead's exhibition in DCA Galleries. A large image of the globe is projected on the wall. A small tv screen shows brightly coloured patterns.
A mural from Thomas & Craighead's exhibition. Red and black text says 'Ok, Eat clean day tea was fine until tea date! My thighs gonna need divorced at this rate
A projector in DCA Galleries from Thomas & Craighead's exhibition shows a man wearing a hat and a raincoat talking.
From Thomas & Craighead's exhibition. Two visitors to DCA Galleries look at multiple TV screens which show slightly different image of mountains and clouds.
From Thomas & Craighead's exhibition. A screen shows a pixelated but colourful pattern in pink, orange, yellow and green.
A projector in DCA Galleries from Thomas & Craighead's exhibition shows a vintage film of a man sitting at a futuristic looking device.
From Thomas & Craighead's exhibition in DCA Galleries. A large image of the globe is projected on the wall. A small tv screen shows brightly coloured patterns.
A mural from Thomas & Craighead's exhibition. Red and black text says 'Ok, Eat clean day tea was fine until tea date! My thighs gonna need divorced at this rate
A projector in DCA Galleries from Thomas & Craighead's exhibition shows a man wearing a hat and a raincoat talking.
From Thomas & Craighead's exhibition. Two visitors to DCA Galleries look at multiple TV screens which show slightly different image of mountains and clouds.
From Thomas & Craighead's exhibition. A screen shows a pixelated but colourful pattern in pink, orange, yellow and green.
A projector in DCA Galleries from Thomas & Craighead's exhibition shows a vintage film of a man sitting at a futuristic looking device.
From Thomas & Craighead's exhibition in DCA Galleries. A large image of the globe is projected on the wall. A small tv screen shows brightly coloured patterns.