SuperSystematic

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SuperSystematic 2008

Gallery Trafo I, Asker, May 2008 (picture 1-10), and Gallery MGM, August 2008 (picture 11-14).

After online poker took of around 2003, enormous amount of money changes hands daily, - a constant flow of values involving neither merchandizes nor services. I wanted to visualize this circuitry, especially the relationship between chance and predictability within it, using my own participation as a case study. While “Poker drawings” (2006/ 08) referred poker tournaments focusing on the interplay between the competitors, the subject matter of SuperSystematic is the economy, - represented through the swings in capital though tournaments.

The task I set for myself in this project was to play 100 tournaments, and keeping accurate account of my play and the results of them.

The outcome of these games were turned into graphs, which were put together in different constellations. Each graph describe a tournament hand by hand, - from the beginning with a chipstack (capital) of 1500 down to zero and defeat, - or up to 15 000 and triumph.

The two first series of (digital) drawings focuses on results; profit, loss, time spent and placements. The third series (video and wall charts) change focus to the shapes of the graphs, and gets more absurd. The last one is about constructing different versions of the "average" graphs. This manipulation was further developed the second time I presented the 100 Courses video from the project.

In a way the works in this exhibition are battlegrounds where the presentation of information fights aesthetic concerns. Also the poker players fixation on repetition and detail , meet an artistic fixation on repetition and detail, motivated by different goals.
And of course; the desire to present statistics in a way that is honest and easy to grasp quickly collide with the urge to put oneself and one’s own merits in a favourable light...