Rachel Hanlon

Rachel Hanlon is an emerging artist in the field of media archaeology. Her works, which have been exhibited in Australia, Ireland, Germany, Austria, Japan and most recently Venice, make available the many layered metaphors and meanings through reinterpretations of obsolete technologies that are heightened by our cultural reliance on them as a part of the narrative of our times. Hanlon’s interest in the re-articulation and appropriation of found materials, explored through creative art practices, reveal and inform the way the complexities of past and present are understood and experienced. The Hello Machine body of work, forms a part of Hanlon’s PhD research into the interplay between people and things, cementing the telephone as an object that verifies its place within our history as part of our cultural voice. Hello Machines are situated across the globe in ever-changing locations and time zones. Picking up the receiver calls other Hello Machines, creating space for spontaneous voice visiting. The Hello Machine – Hello Human project touches on the playful moments that are shared between man and machine. To date, there has been approx. 60,000 interactions made using a Hello Machine. Hanlon holds a Bachelors and First Class Honours Degrees in Visual Arts, and is currently a PhD candidate at Deakin University, Australia.