Lisa Barnard

©️C/OBerlin and David von Becker • One week left to see You Only Look Once @coberlin before it heads off to Frankfurt and the CRESPO Foundation. • “The project’s starting point is the Salton Sea in Southern California. This area previously served as a site for military testing during World War II, but has now become the site of economic desire and technological solutionism in the form of lithium extraction. Barnard’s work depicts the clear signs of ecological depletion of this once flourishing environment, while addressing the military gaze that is tied to the site and part of its complex history. Barnard continues to explore how technologies that rely on vision and soundwaves impact interactions between humans and machines. Using echolocation in bats, Barnard focuses on current modes of object detection that are now ubiquitous in autonomous vehicles. Much like humans, these systems rely on a wide range of sensors and imagery in order to perceive and navigate the world. Although artificial intelligence learning programs such as “You Only Look Once” enable real-time object detection, machines will never have genuine or conscious experience. In You Only Look Once, Barnard makes us aware of the parallels and differences between human, animal, and machine consciousness, and of the moments when recognizing the world devolves into an active way of shaping it. Reflecting on the extent to which today’s global multicrises are interconnected, Barnard comments on the entanglements created by machine “autonomy”. So, at a time when the climate is in crisis, we must ask how technologies can be developed that are not only efficient but also sensitive to the world they are intended to capture.“ The exhibition is curated by @katharina.tae and will be on show until 28th January

A walk around from The Canary and The Hammer showing now @fotomuseumdenhaag under the curatorship of @iris.sikking . Thanks to all the team and @centre_photographie_geneve and @danaepanchaud where the exhibition was first shown • “Photographed across four years and four continents, The Canary and The Hammer details our reverence for gold and its role in humanity’s ruthless pursuit of progress. Through a mix of image, text and archival material, the third book by British artist Lisa Barnard provides a fascinating insight into the troubled history of gold and the complex ways it intersects with the global economy. Gold is ubiquitous in modern life; the mineral is concealed at the heart of much of the technology we use and is, most fundamentally, a potent symbol of value, beauty, purity, greed and political power. The Canary and The Hammer strives to connect these disparate stories—from the mania of the gold rush and the brutal world of modern mining, to the sexual politics of the industry and gold’s often dark but indispensable role at the heart of high-tech industry. Prompted by the financial crisis of 2008 and its stark reminder of the global west’s determination to accumulate wealth, Barnard sets out to question gold’s continued status as economic barometer amidst new intangible forms of technological high—finance. By addressing this through photography, Barnard in turn raises the question of how her chosen medium can respond to such abstract events and concepts. The result is an ambitious project, one sketching a personal journey in which she ultimately tackles the complexity of material representation in these fragmented and troubling times.” • Text from @mack_books #gold

Introducing Lisa Barnard to SPQ! ⁠🦜🔨 ⁠ The Canary and The Hammer is our new, free outdoor exhibition in Soho Photography Quarter, courtesy of artist, researcher and teacher, Lisa Barnard! @lisacbarnard ⁠ The project is a striking exploration of the troubled history of gold, our reverence for it and its role in our endless pursuit of progress and wealth. ⁠ Photographed across four years and four continents, The Canary and The Hammer was a project prompted by the 2008 financial crisis. Barnard brings together contrasting yet intertwined stories, from ecological destruction and human exploitation in mining, to gold’s importance as an invisible component in medicine and technology. ⁠ ⁠ Canaries have long been recognised for their crucial role in mines, serving as an early warning system for carbon monoxide and ensuring miners’ safety. Likewise, gold is a reliable barometer of economic stability; its price consistently reflects the fluctuations of the market. ⁠ ⁠ Just as a canary signals impending danger, gold is a powerful indicator of upcoming crises. ⁠ ⁠ The display is free to view daily and is located right outside the gallery! ⁠Learn more about Lisa and her work on our website now - link in bio ✨ 📷 Lisa Barnard: The Canary and The Hammer at Soho Photography Quarter, Copyright: Ollie Harrop

Research-based practices, machine vision, ecological collapse, indigenous knowledge, and the politics of perception all came together in “After Nature . Ulrike Crespo Photography Prize 25” at the Crespo Open Space in Frankfurt 🌍📷 On view were Lisa Barnard’s “You Only Look Once” and Isadora Romero’s “Notes on How to Build a Forest,” two projects that ask how we see, understand, and negotiate our relationship to the environments around us. It was a pleasure to visit the exhibition on behalf of Der Greif, especially as longtime partners of C/O Berlin and after previously featuring Lisa Barnard’s work through our platform 🤝 Barnard’s project moved between the Salton Sea, military technologies, lithium extraction, and machine learning systems, while Romero’s work reflected on Ecuador’s cloud forests through collaboration with local communities, weaving together photography, sound, textiles, and research 🌱🔊 The exhibition remains on view until May 31 in Frankfurt ✨ Thank you to the Crespo Foundation, C/O Berlin, and the artists for the thoughtful tour and conversations. #LisaBarnard #IsadoraRomero #AfterNature #COBerlin #DerGreif

Neuer Monat, neue Führungen. Unsere Ausstellung „After Nature . Ulrike Crespo Photography Prize 25“ ist noch den ganzen Mai geöffnet! CRESPO ART MONDAY Wir haben auch montags geöffnet und führen durch die Ausstellung! FÜHRUNGEN Montags 18:30 Uhr und Samstags 16 Uhr SAVE THE DATE: Finissage am Sonntag, 31. Mai / Kuratorenführung mit Ben Livne Weitzman, 14:30 Uhr, auf Englisch / Lecture und Talk mit Mediendenker Siegfried Zielinski, 16 Uhr, auf Englisch / Snacks & Drinks CRESPO OPEN SPACE Weißfrauenstraße 1—3 60311 Frankfurt Eintritt frei ----- Everything closed on Mondays? The exhibition ‘After Nature . Ulrike Crespo Photography Prize 25’ is open! CRESPO ART MONDAY We are open on Mondays and offer guided tours of the exhibition! GUIDED TOURS Mondays at 6:30 pm and Saturdays at 4 pm SAVE THE DATE Finissage on Sunday, 31 May / Curator’s guided tour with Ben Livne Weitzman, 2:30 pm, in English / Lecture and talk with media theorist Siegfried Zielinski, 4 pm, in English / Snacks & Drinks CRESPO OPEN SPACE Weißfrauenstraße 1—3 60311 Frankfurt Free entry

⭐️BOOK OF THE DAY⭐️ THE CANARY AND THE HAMMER by Lisa Barnard Photographed across four years and four continents, The Canary and The Hammer details our reverence for gold and its role in humanity’s ruthless pursuit of progress. Through a mix of image, text and archival material, the third book by British artist Lisa Barnard provides a fascinating insight into the troubled history of gold and the complex ways it intersects with the global economy. Gold is ubiquitous in modern life; the mineral is concealed at the heart of much of the technology we use and is, most fundamentally, a potent symbol of value, beauty, purity, greed and political power. The Canary and The Hammer strives to connect these disparate stories—from the mania of the gold rush and the brutal world of modern mining, to the sexual politics of the industry and gold’s often dark but indispensable role at the heart of high-tech industry. Prompted by the financial crisis of 2008 and its stark reminder of the global west’s determination to accumulate wealth, Barnard sets out to question gold’s continued status as economic barometer amidst new intangible forms of technological high—finance. By addressing this through photography, Barnard in turn raises the question of how her chosen medium can respond to such abstract events and concepts. The result is an ambitious project, one sketching a personal journey in which she ultimately tackles the complexity of material representation in these fragmented and troubling times. #gold #photobookjousting #photobook @lisacbarnard @mack_publishing @brotfabrikwien

Could AI be the cure to our problems? (english below) Im Crespo Talk spricht Lisa Barnard @lisacbarnard über ihre Arbeiten im Rahmen des „After Nature . Ulrike Crespo Photography Prize 25“. Ihre Arbeiten untersuchen, wie Wahrnehmung im Zusammenspiel von menschlicher und maschineller Erfahrung entsteht und in welcher Wechselwirkung Klimawandel und KI stehen. SAVE THE DATE Artist Talk mit Lisa Barnard und Isadora Romero in english 22. März, 19 Uhr Crespo Open Space Weißfrauenstraße 1—3 60311 Frankfurt Eintritt frei ___ Could AI be the cure to our problems? In this edition of Crespo Talk, Lisa Barnard @lisacbarnard discusses her work in the context of the ‘After Nature . Ulrike Crespo Photography Prize 25’. In her works, Lisa Barnard considers perception in relation to both human and machine experience, and the interrelation between climate change and AI. SAVE THE DATE Artist Talk with Lisa Barnard and Isadora Romero 22 March, 7 pm Crespo Open Space Weißfrauenstraße 1—3 60311 Frankfurt Free entry

Recent images of the exhibition YOU ONLY LOOK ONCE currently on show @crespofoundation curated by the indomitable @benlw and showing alongside @isadoraromerophoto and part of the After Nature award given to two artists every year to create a new body of work to show also at @coberlin • • Lisa Barnard focuses her research on California and considers perception in relation to both human and machine experience. She addresses the complexity of technological progress and the ecological resources on which its promises depend. • The project begins at the Salton Sea, an area rich in farming that was previously used for military testing during World War II. While the Salton Sea became a major resort destination in the 1950s, it has since turned into a site of economic ambition and technological solutionism through lithium extraction. Barnard’s work depicts the signs of ecological depletion of this complex environment, while addressing the military gaze that is tied to the site. • The exhibition’s title refers to the eponymous algorithm that enables real-time object detection. You Only Look Once (YOLO) is faster and more accurate than other deep learning techniques, optimising data processing and reaction times by evaluating an entire image at once rather than in multiple steps. This makes the algorithm particularly effective for autonomous driving. • Barnard explores how technologies that rely on vision and soundwaves affect interactions between humans and machines. Inspired by the use of echolocation by bats and the widely cited 1974 paper by Thomas Nagel called ‘What Is It Like to Be a Bat?’, Barnard focuses on current modes of object detection in the ‘robotaxis’ that are now ubiquitous in California. Much like humans, these systems rely on a wide range of sensors and imagery in order to perceive and navigate the world. An immersive video installation that can be seen in the street-facing studio connects these technologies using a process of mapping. The sound and imagery reflect within the space, bringing into question object–distance relationships, through shadows and blurred glimpses of people and environments. •

Schön, dass ihr alle da wart! Am Donnerstag, den 12.3. haben wir die Ausstellungen „You Only Look Once“ von Lisa Barnard @lisacbarnard und „Notes on How to Build a Forest“ von Isadora Romero @isadoraromerophoto im Rahmen des „After Nature . Ulrike Crespo Photography Prize 25“ eröffnet. Zu sehen sind sie bis zum 31. Mai bei uns im Crespo Open Space, wo sie zwei künstlerische Perspektiven auf das Zusammenspiel von Natur, Technologie und Gesellschaft eröffnen. Nächste Führungen: Samstag, 21.3., 16 Uhr Montag, 23.3., 18:30 Uhr Crespo Open Space Weißfrauenstraße 1—3 60311 Frankfurt Eintritt frei Fotos: Christof Jakob @christofjakob — It was great to see you all there! Last Thursday, we opened the exhibitions ‘You Only Look Once’ by Lisa Barnard @lisacbarnard and ‘Notes on How to Build a Forest’ by Isadora Romero @isadoraromerophoto as part of the ‘After Nature . Ulrike Crespo Photography Prize 25’. They are on view at the Crespo Open Space until 31 May, opening up two artistic perspectives on the interplay between nature, technology, and society. Next guided tours: Saturday, 21 March, 4 pm (in German) Monday, 23 March, 6:30 pm (in German) Crespo Open Space Weißfrauenstraße 1–3 60311 Frankfurt Free entry Photos: Christof Jakob @christofjakob

Lisa Barnard @lisacbarnard ist Preisträgerin des „After Nature . Ulrike Crespo Photography Prize 25“. Ihre Arbeiten sind in Kalifornien angesiedelt und untersuchen, wie Wahrnehmung im Zusammenspiel von menschlicher und maschineller Erfahrung entsteht. ÜBER DEN PREIS Der „After Nature . Ulrike Crespo Photography Prize“, den wir gemeinsam mit C/O Berlin @coberlin ins Leben gerufen haben, wurde 2025 an Lisa Barnard (1967, Großbritannien) und Isadora Romero (1987, Ecuador) verliehen. Die Ausstellungen „You Only Look Once“ von Lisa Barnard und „Notes on How to Build a Forest“ von Isadora Romero werden nun im Crespo Open Space gezeigt. Sie eröffnen zwei künstlerische Perspektiven auf das Zusammenspiel von Natur, Technologie und Gesellschaft. 13. März bis 31. Mai 2026 Eröffnung: Donnerstag, 12. März 2026, ab 19 Uhr Crespo Open Space Weißfrauenstraße 1—3 60311 Frankfurt Eintritt frei ___ Lisa Barnard @lisacbarnard is the winner of the ‘After Nature . Ulrike Crespo Photography Prize 25’. In her project, Lisa Barnard focuses her research on California and considers perception in relation to both human and machine experience. ABOUT THE PRICE The ‘After Nature . Ulrike Crespo Photography Prize’, initiated in collaboration with C/O Berlin @coberlin , was presented in 2025 to Lisa Barnard (1967, United Kingdom) and Isadora Romero (1987, Ecuador). The exhibitions ‘You Only Look Once’ by Lisa Barnard and ‘Notes on How to Build a Forest’ by Isadora Romero will be on view at the Crespo Open Space, opening up two artistic perspectives on the interplay between nature, technology, and society. 13 March to 31 May 2026 Exhibition Opening: Thursday, 12 March 2026, 7 pm Crespo Open Space Weißfrauenstraße 1—3 60311 Frankfurt Free entry

This wonderful gang of brilliant women working together this week to put on the After Nature Prize @crespofoundation @happy.hoppsasas @isadoraromerophoto @c0her3nce.archive @christiane_riedel @elisadeutloff @sophiesticated____and of course Smilla the dog.

Thanks to @dismy for taking the time to visit and to chat about my practice. In the latest edition of @bjp1854 Ghost In the Machine, there is an extended feature discussing my latest project YOU ONLY LOOK ONCE opening @crespofoundation on the 12th March, moving there from @coberlin . We discussed my practice and the focus of the research of the last 20 years!! Thank you