Screen Walk with GTA V Photographer Bot

In the last event before the summer break, Screen Walks outsources its activities to a non-human photographer. GTA V Photographer Bot will lead an algorithmic street photography performance in the fictional city of the computer game Grand Theft Auto V. Refusing to engage with the game objective and missions, the bot has been programmed to take out its simulated smartphone camera instead of its guns, and snap pictures of its environment.

In Screen Walks, a series of live-streamed explorations of digital spaces, selected artists and researchers investigate artistic strategies taking place online. The project gives an insight into practices using the screen as a medium. From re-contextualising pictures found on online marketplaces and uncovering data brokers’ invisible circulation of images to analysing in-game photography and the social, political and economic implications of games – Screen Walks examines various approaches, offers a behind-the-scenes look at artists’ work and uncovers new, current and forgotten digital spaces. Screen Walks is a collaboration between The Photographers’ Gallery in London and Fotomuseum Winterthur.

Kindly supported by: Pro Helvetia, Swiss Arts Council