The research and work of Rosa Menkman, as shown throughout this exhibition, represent distinct phases in the development of image processing. Image processing uses computers to improve, modify, or analyse digital images for simple or complex tasks like adjusting brightness or identifying objects.
Each room highlights a key development: the transition from analogue to digital, platform-shared imagery, synthetic (computer-generated) imagery, and JPEG compression, a process used to reduce the file size by changing the colour values of digital images.
On the left, in The Collapse of PAL, the Angel of History mourns the loss of the analogue broadcast standard PAL. On the opposite wall, a seal of light functions as a map and compass to help navigate the landscapes of digital image processing represented in the transition rooms throughout the exhibition. Finally, Destitute Vision previews what lies ahead: as processing evolves, challenges like accuracy, bias, and clarity emerge, showing how upgrades can bring trade-offs.
Rosa Menkman | b. 1983, Arnhem
Rosa Menkman is a Dutch artist, researcher, and educator. She interrogates the concept of resolution – not simply as a measure of detail but as a dynamic site of cultural and perceptual negotiation. As a “media archaeologist from the future,” she digs into the compromises at the core of image processing across technical, cultural, and political contexts. Her publication Glitch Moment/um (INC, 2011) has been central to developing theoretical and practical frameworks for Glitch Art. Her publication Beyond Resolution critiques the emphasis on high-resolution digital media, exploring how glitches and image distortions reveal deeper creative and conceptual insights.
The Collapse of PAL (2010), by Rosa Menkman, Video Projection, with sound by Rosa Menkman. Read more here.
Destitute Vision (2025), by Rosa Menkman, Video, with sound by Rosa Menkman.
Sigil of Destitute Vision (2025), by Rosa Menkman, Compass. With support of Lotte Menkman.
Ecology of Compression Complexities (2015-2017), by Rosa Menkman, Wallpaper.