Machine Language: Branger_Briz

Probe Kit is a critical software art project that puts a fragment of the network surveillance and collection capabilities available to larger entities in the hands of “hobbyist network data collectors.”

Branger_Briz in collaboration with Brannon Dorsey debuted Probe Kit at the eMerge Americas Conference, as an activist “artware” installation aimed at illustrating how simple it is to collect personal network data and how much can be inferred from that data. Sarcastically pitched as an “amateur data collector kit”, Probe Kit turns your wifi card into a “net” that catches the fluttering probe requests (data packets) emitted from the wireless devices of the people around you.

Branger_Briz is a collective of artists, educators and programmers formed in [2010] by Nick Briz, Paul Briz and Ramon Branger, among others. It has since grown from 5 people to more than a dozen. The behaviour of the user is an important starting point and often a key issue within their creative projects. Before Branger_Briz came into existence, its members were part of a more traditional marketing firm, ‘The Alten Group’. They decided to re-organize their company with a focus on confluence of digital technology and culture, as for them contemporary culture and digital culture are indistinguishably connected. Their charging station ( A Charge For Privacy ) was first programmed and installed at two commercial art shows during Art Basel Miami and later at the Neuberger Museum of Art in Purchase (NY). This installation version has been produced by Furtherfield where it was included in an exhibition curated for the International Symposium on Mixed and Augmented Reality in Munich, and later in their London gallery in Beyond the Interface.
( from the “Right Here Right Now” catalog )

“The practice of artist collective Branger_Briz provides an illustrative basis to help appreciate the postdigital conditions under which contemporary museum communication and cultural curating operate. Formed in [2010] by Nick Briz, Paul Briz, and Ramon Branger, this studio collective draws upon the expertise of artists, educators, and programmers for whom the behavior of the user is the common point of contention for their creative projects, regardless of whether applied towards more commercial or experimental outcomes. Their practice reflects how contemporary culture has become indistinguishable from digital culture;”
( from http://mw17.mwconf.org/paper/the-abcs-of-cultural-curating/ )

Nick​ ​Briz​ ​is​ ​a​ ​new-media​ ​artist,​ ​educator​ ​and​ ​organizer​ ​based​ ​in​ ​Chicago,​ ​IL.​ ​His​ ​work focuses​ ​on​ ​digital​ ​culture​ ​by​ ​investigating​ ​the​ ​promises​ ​and​ ​perils​ ​of​ ​living​ ​in​ ​an​ ​increasingly digital​ ​and​ ​networked​ ​world.​ ​He​ ​is​ ​an​ ​active​ ​participant​ ​in​ ​various​ ​online​ ​communities​ ​and conversations​ ​including​ ​glitch​ ​art,​ ​net​ ​art,​ ​remix​ ​culture,​ ​digital​ ​rights,​ ​Internet​ ​ecology​ ​and​ ​digital literacy.

His​ ​work​ ​has​ ​been​ ​exhibited​ ​internationally​ ​at​ ​major​ ​festivals​ ​such​ ​as​ ​FILE​ ​Media​ ​Arts Festival​ ​in​ ​Rio​ ​de​ ​Janeiro,​ ​Brazil​ ​and​ ​the​ ​Images​ ​Festival​ ​in​ ​Toronto​ ​Canada,​ ​as​ ​well​ ​as​ ​major cultural​ ​institutions​ ​such​ ​as​ ​the​ ​Museum​ ​of​ ​Moving​ ​Image​ ​in​ ​New​ ​York​ ​City,​ ​the​ ​Museo​ ​De​ ​Arte Contemporaneo​ ​de​ ​Caracas,​ ​Venezuela​ ​and​ ​the​ ​Museum​ ​of​ ​Contemporary​ ​Art​ ​Chicago,​ ​the Tate​ ​Exchange​ ​in​ ​London,​ ​among​ ​others.​ ​His​ ​work​ ​has​ ​been​ ​reviewed​ ​and​ ​discussed​ ​in international​ ​print​ ​publications​ ​and​ ​online​ ​platforms​ ​such​ ​as​ ​Neural​ ​Magazine​ ​(Bari,​ ​Italy), Rhizome.org​ ​(NYC)​ ​and​ ​Furtherfield​ ​(London)​ ​which​ ​are​ ​among​ ​the​ ​most​ ​influential​ ​in​ ​the​ ​field of​ ​New​ ​Media​ ​Art,​ ​as​ ​well​ ​as​ ​in​ ​traditional​ ​news​ ​outlets​ ​such​ ​as​ ​the​ ​Boston​ ​Globe,​ ​El​ ​Mundo (Spain),​ ​El​ ​Espectador​ ​(Colombia),​ ​and​ ​in​ ​an​ ​array​ ​of​ ​art​ ​and​ ​design​ ​publications​ ​including VICE,​ ​Fast​ ​Company,​ ​Art​ ​Slant​ ​and​ ​Complex.

He​ ​is​ ​Adjunct​ ​Assistant​ ​Professor​ ​at​ ​the​ ​School​ ​of​ ​the​ ​Art​ ​Institute​ ​of​ ​Chicago​ ​as​ ​well​ ​as the​ ​Chief​ ​Creative​ ​Director​ ​of​ ​the​ ​digital​ ​agency​ ​Branger_Briz,​ ​a​ ​collective​ ​of​ ​artists,​ ​strategists, educators​ ​and​ ​programmers​ ​specializing​ ​in​ ​conceiving​ ​and​ ​developing​ ​custom​ ​innovative​ ​digital projects​ ​for​ ​a​ ​wide​ ​range​ ​of​ ​clients.​ ​As​ ​an​ ​organizer​ ​he​ ​has​ ​been​ ​invited​ ​to​ ​curate​ ​events​ ​at various​ ​international​ ​galleries​ ​and​ ​conferences,​ ​he​ ​co-founded​ ​and​ ​ran​ ​an​ ​international​ ​New Media​ ​Art​ ​conference​ ​called​ ​GLI.TC/H​ ​(2010-2012),​ ​co-ran​ ​an​ ​experimental​ ​performance​ ​series in​ ​Chicago​ ​called​ ​NO-MEDIA​ ​(2012-2016),​ ​and​ ​is​ ​currently​ ​co-organizing​ ​a​ ​lecture​ ​series​ ​called d.r.e.a.m.​ ​(data​ ​rules​ ​everything​ ​around​ ​me).

Brannon Dorsey is an artist, programmer, and researcher based in Chicago, IL.

Brannon has been featured in various publications and articles, including Motherboard, The Creator’s Project, Hackaday, Bloomberg, The New York Observer, Boing Boing, and rtl-sdr.

His work has shown in Japan, Mexico, New York City, Chicago, Los Angeles, Miami, Atlanta, Washington D.C., Philadelphia, and his hometown of Richmond, VA, among other places. He has shown in group exhibitions at the Virginia Museum of Fine Arts, the Miami Art Museum, the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts, and the Smithsonian’s American Art Museum.