CV & Biography

David Aston is a British artist (b. Edinburgh) working at the intersection of art, science and anthropology. His broad research-based practice looks at humanity through a diachronic lens to explore how the evolution of technological determinism, digitisation and artificial intelligence influence and shape contemporary societies and our humanity.

His multimedia works observe our transition to an age where we need to attest our humanity to machines, fight for our rights to data, and question our cultural legacy through acts of digital archeology. In The New Oracles series David incorporates AI academic research into sculptural and digital future prediction simulators which gamify AI flight paths, societal risks and impacts.

David's earlier sculptural photographic works explore themes of identity, commoditisation and copyright through the curation of anonymous 19th century photographs and social histories. These early works also explore the potential for both copyright and copywrong in the re-evaluation of historical and personal objects.

David is an elected member of the Royal Society of Sculptors (MRSS). His work has been shown nationally and internationally at British Royal Academies, the Royal Society of Sculptors, Whitechapel Gallery, the BBA Gallery, Berlin and The Other Art Fair London & New York.

In 2022-3 David was a finalist for the John Ruskin Prize, the East London Art Prize, the BBA Gallery Art Prize, Berlin. David was long-listed for The Aesthetica Art Prize in 2024, 2022 and 2020.

SELECTED GROUP EXHIBITIONS

ART FAIRS

2023 | Royal Academy Summer Exhibition | London

AWARDS & RESIDENCIES
2024 | John Ruskin Prize (short listed)
2024 | Aesthetica Art Prize (long listed)
2023 | Marchmont House Residency with the Royal Society of Sculptors | Marchmont House | Scotland
2023 | East London Art Prize (short listed) https://bowarts.org/event/east-london-art-prize-shortlist-exhibition/
2023 | Aesthetica Art Prize (long listed) https://aestheticamagazine.com/profile/david-aston-2/
2022 | BBA Gallery Art Prize (short listed)
2020 | Aesthetica Art Prize (long listed) https://aestheticamagazine.com/profile/david-aston/
2019 | The John Ruskin Prize (long listed)
2019 | A-N Mentoring Award

COLLECTIONS
Marchmont House https://www.marchmonthouse.com

TALKS & EDUCATION
2023 | Whitechapel Gallery | East London Art Prize x Whitechapel Gallery | In conversation with Anders Sandberg on the intersection of art & AI | Whitechapel Gallery | London: https://www.whitechapelgallery.org/events/east-london-art-prize-x-whitechapel-gallery/
2024 | UCL East | Knowledge exchange lab: Earthly Values - Art, Research and Co-Existence with UCL East: https://bowarts.org/event/elap-knowledge-exchange-lab-earthly-values-ucl-east/

2023 | Whitechapel Gallery | East London Art Prize x Whitechapel Gallery | In conversation with Anders Sandberg on the intersection of art & AI

PUBLICATIONS
2023 | East London Art Prize x Whitechaple Gallery | London | https://www.whitechapelgallery.org/events/east-london-art-prize-x-whitechapel-gallery/
2023 | London Group Open | https://www.thelondongroup.com/the-open-2023-catalogue/
2023 | East London Art Prize | https://bowarts.org/event/east-london-art-prize-shortlist-exhibition/
2022 | BBA Gallery | https://bba-gallery.com/berlin/prizes/bba-artist-prize-2022
2022 | The Aesthetica Art Prize Anthology | Future Now 2022: https://shop.aestheticamagazine.com/collections/future-now-collection/products/future-now-2022
2021 | The Scottish Royal Academy Annual Exhibition: https://www.rsaannualexhibition.org/content/viewing-room/61/artworks-6927-david-aston-a-test-you-are-human/
2021 | Society of Scottish Artists (SSA) | Instant https://ssa.viewingrooms.com/viewing-room/10-instant/
2021 | Society of Scottish Artists (SSA) | Sculpture Now https://ssa.viewingrooms.com/viewing-room/9-sculpture-now/
2020 | Royal ScottishAcademy Annual Exhibition: https://www.rsaannualexhibition.org/artists/
2020 | Royal West of England Academy Annual Exhibition: https://www.rwa.org.uk/products/buy-art-annual-open-563
2020 | The Aesthetica Art Prize Anthology: Future Now 2020 | https://aestheticamagazine.com/profile/david-aston/
2019 | The London Group Open | http://www.thelondongroup.com/the-london-group-open-2019-exhibitors-announced/
2018 | The Royal Academy: https://se.royalacademy.org.uk/2018/artworks/david-aston/781
2018 | Saatchi Art: https://canvas.saatchiart.com/the-other-art-fair/brooklyn-david-astons-attest-you-are-human-at-the-other-art-fair-brooklyn
2015 | The Royal Academy | Illustrated ISBN 9781907533952: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Summer-Exhibition-Illustrated-2015-Selection/dp/1907533958
2017 | Fad Magazine | The Other Art Fair London Top 5: https://fadmagazine.com/2017/03/31/top-5/
2012-2015 | Various self-published books. Some of which are available to view on blurb | https://www.blurb.co.uk/user/rmutt