The Smartest Horse in the World
𝑻𝒉𝒆 𝑺𝒎𝒂𝒓𝒕𝒆𝒔𝒕 𝑯𝒐𝒓𝒔𝒆 𝒊𝒏 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝑾𝒐𝒓𝒍𝒅 an exhibition by Annabelle McEwen at Ethan Frome, is a reference to Clever Hans, a horse who was claimed to be able to solve seemingly intellectual tasks. A psychological investigation later found that Hans had not actually learnt the methods and strategies to solve problems and answer questions, but rather, was responding to subtle changes in his trainer’s physical behaviour.
In 𝘛𝘩𝘦 𝘈𝘵𝘭𝘢𝘴 𝘰𝘧 𝘈𝘐: 𝘗𝘰𝘸𝘦𝘳, 𝘗𝘰𝘭𝘪𝘵𝘪𝘤𝘴, 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘗𝘭𝘢𝘯𝘦𝘵𝘢𝘳𝘺 𝘊𝘰𝘴𝘵𝘴 𝘰𝘧 𝘈𝘳𝘵𝘪𝘧𝘪𝘤𝘪𝘢𝘭 𝘐𝘯𝘵𝘦𝘭𝘭𝘪𝘨𝘦𝘯𝘤𝘦, Kate Crawford suggests that, “𝑻𝒉𝒆 𝒔𝒕𝒐𝒓𝒚 𝒐𝒇 𝑪𝒍𝒆𝒗𝒆𝒓 𝑯𝒂𝒏𝒔 𝒊𝒔 𝒄𝒐𝒎𝒑𝒆𝒍𝒍𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝒇𝒓𝒐𝒎 𝒎𝒂𝒏𝒚 𝒂𝒏𝒈𝒍𝒆𝒔: 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒓𝒆𝒍𝒂𝒕𝒊𝒐𝒏𝒔𝒉𝒊𝒑 𝒃𝒆𝒕𝒘𝒆𝒆𝒏 𝒅𝒆𝒔𝒊𝒓𝒆, 𝒊𝒍𝒍𝒖𝒔𝒊𝒐𝒏, 𝒂𝒏𝒅 𝒂𝒄𝒕𝒊𝒐𝒏, 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒃𝒖𝒔𝒊𝒏𝒆𝒔𝒔 𝒐𝒇 𝒔𝒑𝒆𝒄𝒕𝒂𝒄𝒍𝒆𝒔, 𝒉𝒐𝒘 𝒘𝒆 𝒂𝒏𝒕𝒉𝒓𝒐𝒑𝒐𝒎𝒐𝒓𝒑𝒉𝒊𝒔𝒆 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒏𝒐𝒏𝒉𝒖𝒎𝒂𝒏, 𝒉𝒐𝒘 𝒃𝒊𝒂𝒔𝒆𝒔 𝒆𝒎𝒆𝒓𝒈𝒆, 𝒂𝒏𝒅 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒑𝒐𝒍𝒊𝒕𝒊𝒄𝒔 𝒐𝒇 𝒊𝒏𝒕𝒆𝒍𝒍𝒊𝒈𝒆𝒏𝒄𝒆.”
Clearview AI Webcam Doppelgänger 2, 2024, laser etched wood block printed in plaster, 36.5 x 6.5 cm
Clever Hans learns: 4 + 2 = 6, 2024, 42 x 56, screen printed acrylic on glass
Confluence [gaussian splat], 2024, screen printed acrylic on aluminium, 42 x 56 cm
MeThreeSixty, 2024, dye sublimation print on aluminium, 130 x 29.5 cm
MeThreeSixty, 2024, dye sublimation print on aluminium, 130 x 29.5 cm
Clearview AI Webcam Doppelgänger, 2024, copper plate etching with aquatint printed in plaster, 10.5 x 8.5 cm
Clearview AI Webcam Doppelgänger 3, 2024, laser etched wood block printed in plaster, 14 x 10.5 cm
Data Composite, 2024, laser etched wood block printed in plaster, 18 x 18 cm
Autophoto, 2024, zinc plate etching with aquatint printed in plaster, 11 x 8. 5cm
My Legacy is Data, 2024, laser etched wood block printed in plaster, 18 x 18 cm
Bio-identifier: Backyard, 2024, zinc plate etching with aquatint printed in plaster, 10 x 8 cm
Skyscraper Simulator, 2024, copper plate etching with aquatint printed in plaster, 8 x 10.5 cm
Clever Hans learns: 4 + 2 = 6, 2024, 42 x 56, screen printed acrylic on glass
Data Composite: Ghost, 2024, laser etched wood block printed in plaster, 18 x 18 cm
Corporeal Collapse, 2024, polylactic acid print, 25 x 8 x 5 cm
Corporeal Collapse [copy], 2024, screen printed acrylic on aluminium, 19 x 9 x 6 cm
Clever Hans learns: 4 + 2 = 6, 2024, 42 x 56, screen printed acrylic on glass
Corporeal Collapse [copy] and Corporeal Collapse, 2024, screen printed acrylic on aluminium and polylactic acid print