Alex May

Overview

Alex May is a British digital media artist based in Brighton, whose practice centers on the intricate relationships between memory, technology, and the human condition. Through his work, May examines how digital systems record, preserve, and inevitably distort our experiences, probing the fragility of recollection in an era of rapid technological advancement. His art bridges the gap between personal narrative and computational processes, creating immersive encounters that question what endures and what fades in the digital age. With a background that includes roles as a Visiting Research Fellow at the University of Hertfordshire and a lecturer in Digital Media Arts at the University of Brighton, May brings both technical rigor and philosophical depth to his explorations.[1]

May’s oeuvre reflects a sustained engagement with the parallels between human memory systems and technological infrastructures of storage and retrieval. His projects often emerge from collaborations with scientists and technologists, resulting in works that feel both speculative and grounded in contemporary realities. From intimate video sculptures to large-scale installations, his art invites viewers to confront the ephemerality of data and the ways in which algorithms shape collective remembrance. This focus has positioned him as a thoughtful voice in new media art, one who consistently returns to the quiet dramas of preservation and loss.

Artistic Style & Medium

May works fluidly across moving image, photography, video sculpture, interactive installations, computational systems, code, robotics, timelapse, and performance. His style is characterized by a precise yet poetic layering of digital and analog techniques, where projected imagery maps onto sculptural forms or robotic elements pulse with simulated life. In pieces like his light-based performances, he “paints” with video footage in real time, creating luminous, ephemeral compositions that dissolve boundaries between the virtual and the physical.[2]

His technical approach often incorporates custom software and hardware, allowing for dynamic interactions that respond to viewers or environmental data. Whether crafting underwater robotic forms or capturing fleeting urban moments through photography destined for blockchain platforms, May maintains a signature aesthetic of quiet intensity—subtle color palettes, rhythmic temporal manipulations, and a sense of technological tenderness. This multimedia versatility enables him to translate abstract concepts of memory into tangible, sensory experiences that linger long after the encounter.

Influences & Themes

May draws from a rich tapestry of influences spanning conceptual art, cybernetics, phenomenology, and contemporary discussions around artificial intelligence and climate futures. His thematic core revolves around the mutability of memory under technological pressure: how devices archive moments yet erode their authenticity, and how systems of preservation mirror the fallibility of human recall. Collaborations with biologists and computer scientists infuse his work with speculative biology and post-human perspectives, evident in explorations of life forms adapted to extreme futures.[3]

Recurring motifs include the tension between rapid digital evolution and slower human meaning-making, the ethics of data longevity, and the poetic potential of obsolescence. Everyday scenes—Brighton seafronts, historic pavilions—become sites for meditation on transience in his recent photographic series, while robotic installations imagine resilient entities beyond singularity. These themes are rendered with a humanist warmth, avoiding dystopian alarmism in favor of nuanced reflection on what we choose to keep and what technology compels us to forget.

Notable Works & Exhibitions

Among May’s standout creations is ArchaeaBot: A Post Climate Change, Post Singularity Life-form (2018–19), a collaborative underwater robotic installation with Anna Dumitriu that prototypes a hypothetical organism thriving in a devastated future world. The work blends synthetic biology, robotics, and installation to question the essence of life amid environmental collapse and technological transcendence.[4] Another key piece, Painting With Light at the Tate Modern (2013), featured live video projection mapping onto temporary sculptures, transforming the iconic London space into a canvas of moving light and form.

His exhibition history reads like a map of global new media institutions: performances and installations at Tate Modern, Ars Electronica in Austria, ZKM in Germany, MIT Museum in the USA, HeK in Switzerland, the Nobel Prize Museum in Sweden, LABoral in Spain, the WRO Media Art Biennale in Poland, the Francis Crick Institute, Eden Project, Science Gallery Dublin, and venues in China and India.[5] More recently, his #TheLastDay series on social media and NFT platforms captures quotidian Brighton moments—pink hats against sea walls, dancing light on streets—linking physical observation to digital permanence through objkt tokens.

Impact & Recognition

May’s contributions have earned him recognition as a pioneering figure at the intersection of art, science, and technology, with his works featured in prestigious contexts that bridge institutional galleries and experimental labs. His emphasis on memory and technological mediation resonates deeply in an age of AI and data saturation, influencing dialogues around digital heritage and the ethics of preservation. As an educator and researcher, he shapes emerging artists through academic roles, extending his impact beyond the studio into pedagogical spheres.[5]

Internationally, his presence at events like the Nobel Prize Museum and collaborations with leading scientists underscore his role in fostering cross-disciplinary innovation. By rendering complex themes accessible through visceral, interactive forms, May has cultivated a dedicated following and critical acclaim, ensuring his inquiries into remembrance and obsolescence continue to provoke thoughtful engagement across audiences worldwide. His ongoing practice, including blockchain-based works, signals an evolving relevance in the digital commons.

References