About

In an era of rapidly increasing automation, systems of production and distribution can seem monolithic and anonymous. ‘The Human Factor’ considers the possibility of personal expression within such supply chains, exploring how unique aspects of the self persistently seep into our mechanised society.

The works examine the myriad ways in which individuals — through ingenuity and invention, folly and foible — inject their humanity into the processes behind the mass-produced goods that arrive at consumers’ doors. Across a range of disciplines, these artists use both ironic humour and blunt realism to ruminate on the tenacity of self-expression so frequently at odds with dire labour conditions and the polluting remnants of hyper-capitalism. The ‘flawless’ logic of machines is also brought into question, where their exacting efficiency intertwines with the inherent fallibility of their operators.

Traversing multiple countries and decades, ‘The Human Factor’ highlights the universal imperfections and idiosyncrasies that exemplify the very nature of the human condition while delving into the inner lives of the people who make and move things around the world.