Featured Artist Tom Milnes

Introduce yourself and tell us a little bit about your practice?

I’m Tom Milnes. I’m an artist, curator and Ph.D researcher living and working in Oxford. My work and interests explore our relationship with technological cultures. I make site-specific works which use different cultural responses to technology where artworks actively confuse time frames. Recent exhibitions and screenings include: White Marble,Toronto Urban Film Festival (2015), JHB Archive, Birmingham Open Media (2015) and Aspect, Kingsgate Gallery, London (2014) This year, I was awarded the 3D3 scholarship for research at Falmouth University. I was recently the Sandarbh International Artist-in-Residence and Kingsgate Emerging Artist-in-Residence. I'm the curator and founder of the online platform Digital Artist Residency.

What are you currently working on?

A few different things. Still creating my Ex-Machine works. This is a purely studio based series, which is quite unusual for me. My research is into site-specific practice and a lot of my work tend to lean toward site-specificity. However, I do always include studio based elements in these works. For instance for my upcoming installation of Deep Relaxation at The Morgue, Chelsea College of Art, requires me to hack and alter approxmately 30-40 tape walkmans and install them in the space.

How do you spend your time when you are at the studios?

Normally breaking apart old bit of technology, dismantling them, reassembling them into different forms. I use the studio as a photography space too, so I’m often creating photos or 3D models in some part of the studio. I also have a little office area as all this ‘digital data’ will require collating on various programs like Blender, Photoshop or Maya.

What are your other (work) commitments if any?

I curate an online space called Digital Artist Residency. It is an online platform which provides space for digital artists to create and display new artwork. The initiative aims to provide support for artwork created using digital processes, exploring the boundaries of art and technology. I am also doing a PhD through Falmouth University, so I have commitments with the university too.

How does having a studio at Magdalen road support your work?

Definitely, I find it a really flexible space for my various different practices. I find there is a great support network at the studios too and I enjoy chatting about my work to other artists. Some really interesting shows have come about through the studios too, like Dis Locate at the VW Garage last year.

What are you hoping to achieve over the next year?

Several things really. I have a digital residency coming up though IUOAE which will be taking place in June. I will be curating some shows through DAR with OVADA, Oxford Museum and Wrong Biennale. I also need to write some papers for conferences on my research. This is something I’ve not done before so that will be exciting.