Supported Video Aquarium Equivalent w./ School of Fish and Coral Double

In his research-based work, Berlin-based New Zealand artist Simon Denny examines obsolete technology and the patterns of labour and exchange they are part of. In 2015 he represented New Zealand at the 56th Venice Biennale, exhibiting 'Secret Power', a work that explored surveillance, espionage, and New Zealand's role in the Five Eyes international intelligence alliance.

In 2009 Denny produced the first of his TV aquarium sculptures made from television casings and photographs of fish set within metal framed acrylic boxes placed on plinths. These works came about at the time television was transitioning from analogue to digital, and include television manufacturers’ names in the title, such as 'Half Deep Sea Monitor Toshiba' 2009. Combining the television and aquarium, objects that are the focal point of many living rooms, these works examine consumer consumption and the impact technological advancements have had on home entertainment. In 'Supported Video Aquarium Equivalent w./ School of Fish and Coral Double' Denny has swapped the white plinths used in other works from the series for a Gallery storage crate, connecting this commercial object with the consumer art objects that circulate the world in crates to reach art fairs and exhibitions.

Denny has said his interest in technology started when he moved from New Zealand to Germany to undertake an MFA at the Frankfurt Städelschule. Becoming reliant on his laptop for his studies and communicating with family and friends, he wanted to know more about the object which led him to look at the history of artists using screens and technology.