Ama Algorithmus
Documentation video footage credit: Alan Erpi, Counihan Gallery. Click on video for sound.
Past exhibition: 1 - 11 May 2025 at RMIT DESIGN ARCHIVE WINDOW, 154 Victoria Street Carlton for YIRRAMBOI.
Ama Algorithmus (Mother Algorithm) by Axel Garay is a photo-media and audiovisual installation that explores the mysticism and beliefs surrounding algorithmic technology and the unseen influence of digital systems in contemporary life. Expanding on a project first presented at the 2025 Yirramboi Festival, the work brings together cyanotypes, lightbox pieces, projected video, and an original soundscape by cellist Thomas Veitch.
Through these interconnected forms, Axel reflects on how technology and artificial intelligence are often imbued with an aura of mystery and reverence – concealing the commercial and political structures that shape them.
As a proud Meriam (Eastern Torres Strait Islander), Puerto Rican, and Malaysian queer artist living in Narrm, Axel approaches this project as both a cultural and conceptual meditation on power, perception, and belief in the digital age.
Lead Artist: Axel Garay
Music Composition: Thomas Veitch & Alistair O'Brien
Fabric Printing Assistance: Ellie Young at Gold Street Studios
Yirramboi Producer: J-Maine Beazley
Curatorial for Yirramboi Festival: Ann Carew & Andrew Tetzlaff
Installation for Yirramboi Festival: Tim McLeod
