Trevor Paglen
Trevor Paglen (b. 1974) lives and works in New York, NY. As an artist, filmmaker, investigator, technologist, and theorist, Paglen asks questions around vision, perception, materiality, and aesthetics. His wide-ranging oeuvre includes work on artificial intelligence and computer vision, aerospace technology, secrecy and conspiracy, experimental landscapes, speculative fiction, nuclear histories, notional archaeology, psychological operations, and the Weird.
Paglen has photographed secret military bases from enormous distances, tracked classified satellites and objects of unknown origin in earth orbit, led underwater tours of internet infrastructure, created a radioactive sculpture for a nuclear exclusion zone, profiled an Air Force disinformation specialist, built numerous AI and computer vision models, performed with the Kronos Quartet, written several books, and launched two sculptures into space, among other things.
Ultimately, Paglen poses the following question: How can we learn to see the world at a moment in time where accelerating technologies, politics, and cultures come up against the limits of reason and perception?
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Trevor PaglenNear Cemetery Road (undated), 2024Pigment print10 x 14 in
25.4 x 35.6 cm
Framed: 18 3/4 x 18 3/4 in
47.6 x 47.6 cmEdition of 3 plus 1 artist's proof -
Trevor PaglenNear the Utah Test and Training Range (undated), 2024Dye sublimation on aluminum print40 x 50 in
101.6 x 127 cm
Framed: 41 1/8 x 51 1/8 in
104.5 x 129.9 cmEdition of 3 plus 1 artist's proof -
Trevor PaglenUNKNOWN #85217 (Unclassified object near the Cone Nebula), 2023Silver gelatin LE print80 x 54 in
203.20 x 137.16 cm
Framed: 82 1/4 x 55 1/8 x 2 1/4 in
208.9 x 140 x 5.7 cmEdition of 3 plus 1 artist's proof -
Trevor PaglenNear Sereno del Mar | Deep Semantic Image Segments, 2022Dye sublimation print48 x 64 in
121.9 x 162.6 cm
Framed: 49 1/8 x 65 1/4 in
124.8 x 165.7 cmEdition of 5 plus 2 artist's proofs -
Trevor PaglenLower Yosemite Falls | Deep Semantic Image Segments, 2021Dye sublimation print54 x 40 1/2 in
137.2 x 102.9 cm
Framed: 55 1/8 x 41 5/8 in
140 x 105.7 cmEdition of 5 plus 2 artist's proofs -
Trevor PaglenBloom (#52392e), 2020Dye sublimation print54 × 40 ½ in
137.16 × 102.87 cm
Framed: 55 ⅛ × 41 ⅝ × 2 in
140.02 × 105.73 × 5.08 cmEdition of 5 plus 2 artist's proofs -
Trevor PaglenFrom Glacier Point | Circle Hough Transform; Watershed; Haar; Hough Transform; Maximally Stable Extremal Regions, 2020Silver gelatin LE printTriptych, each element: 80 x 39.9 in
203.20 x 101.35 cm
Framed: 81 1/2 x 121 in
207.01 x 307.34 cmEdition of 3 plus 1 artist's proof -
Trevor PaglenSeal Rocks | Circle Hough Transform; Region Adjacency Graph; Speeded-Up Robust Features; Watershed; Good Features to Track, 2020Silver gelatin LE printTriptych, each element: 80 × 39.9 in
203.20 × 101.35 cm
Framed: 81 ½ × 121 in
207.01 × 307.34 cmEdition of 3 plus 1 artist's proof -
Trevor PaglenView of the Moon | Scale-Invariant Feature Transform, 2020Carbon printImage dimensions: 16 × 20 in
40.64 × 50.80 cm
Paper dimensions: 20 × 24 in
50.80 × 60.96 cm
Framed: 22 ½ × 26 ½ in
57.15 × 67.31 cmEdition of 5 plus 1 artist's proof -
Trevor PaglenCLOUD #735 | Scale Invariant Feature Transform; Region Adjacency Graph; Watershed, 2019Dye sublimation print48 x 66 in
121.9 x 167.6 cm
Framed: 49 1/2 x 67 1/2 in
125.7 x 171.4 cmEdition of 5 plus 2 artist's proofs -
Trevor PaglenThey Took the Faces from the Accused and the Dead…, 2019Set of 14 pigment printsEach: 11 ½ × 13 ½ in
29.21 × 34.29 cm
Framed: 12 ⅛ × 14 ⅛ × 1 ½ in
30.80 × 35.88 × 3.81 cmEdition of 5 plus 2 artist's proofs -
Trevor PaglenShoshone Falls | Hough Transform; Haar, 2017Silver gelatin print48 x 60 in
121.9 x 152.4 cm
Framed: 49 1/8 x 61 1/8 in
124.8 x 155.3 cmEdition of 5 plus 2 artist's proofs -
Trevor PaglenAmericas II | NSA/GCHQ-Tapped Undersea Cable | Atlantic Ocean, 2015C-print48 x 60 in
121.92 x 152.40 cm
Framed: 49 1/8 x 61 1/8 in
124.78 x 155.26 cmEdition of 5 plus 2 artist's proofs -
Trevor PaglenUntitled (Reaper Drones), 2012-2021Dye sublimation on aluminum print48 x 62 in
121.9 x 157.5 cm
Framed: 49 1/8 x 63 1/8 in
124.8 x 160.3 cmEdition of 5 plus 2 artist's proofs -
Trevor PaglenMILSTAR 3 in Sagittarius (Inactive Communication and Targeting Satellite; USA 143), 2008C-print37 1/2 x 30 in
95.25 x 76.2 cm
Framed: 38 ¼ x 30 ¾ in
97.16 x 78.11 cm
Edition of 5 plus 2 artist's proofs (#4/5) -
Trevor PaglenFive Classified Aircraft, 2007Five fabric patchesFramed: 13 x 36 x 2 1/4 in
33 x 91.4 x 5.7 cmEdition of 5 (#4/5) -
Trevor PaglenMorning Commute (Gold Coast Terminal); Las Vegas, NV; Distance ~ 1 mile; 6:26 a.m., 2006C-print30 x 36 in
76.2 x 91.44 cm
30 ⅞ x 36 ⅞ in
78.42 × 93.66 cmEdition of 5 plus 2 artist's proofs (#5/5)
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Trevor Paglen
Hide the Real, Show the False, 2023
Installation view
Neuer Berliner Kunstverein (n.b.k.), Berlin
Photo © n.b.k. / Jens Ziehe -
Trevor Paglen
Faces of ImageNet, 2022
Installation view
Llum Festival, Barcelona
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Trevor Paglen
Opposing Geometries, 2020
Installation view
Carnegie Museum of Art, Pittsburgh, PA
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Trevor Paglen
Unseen Stars, 2020
Installation view
OGR Torino, Italy
Photography by Melania dalle Grave, DSL Studio for OGR Torino
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Trevor Paglen
Kate Crawford | Trevor Paglen: Training Humans, 2019
Installation view
Fondazione Prada, Milan
Photography by Marco Cappelletti
Courtesy Fondazione Prada
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Trevor Paglen
From 'Apple' to 'Anomaly,' 2019
Installation view
The Curve, Barbican Centre, London
© Tim P. Whitby, Getty Images
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Trevor Paglen
Machine Visions, 2018
Installation view
Museo Tamayo, Mexico City
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Trevor Paglen
Sites Unseen, 2019
Installation view
Museum of Contemporary Art San Diego, CA
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Trevor Paglen
Sites Unseen, 2018
Installation view
Smithsonian American Art Museum, Washington D.C.
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Trevor Paglen
Sight Machine, 2017
Installation view
Pier 70, San Francisco
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Trevor Paglen, 2010-2011
Installation view
Secession, Vienna, Austria
Photography by Wolfgang Thaler
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Trevor Paglen
CARDINALS Sep 5 - Nov 2, 2024 -
Frieze Los Angeles 2024
Booth C6 Feb 29 - Mar 3, 2024 -
Trevor Paglen
Unids Nov 2 - Dec 22, 2023 -
Fair Use: What's Mine is Yours
Darren Bader, Bethany Collins, Troy Lamarr Chew II, Simon Denny, Laeh Glenn, Trevor Paglen Jul 16 - Aug 27, 2021 -
Trevor Paglen
Signature, Site, Metadata Mar 24 - 27, 2021 -
Trevor Paglen: Territory
Jun 25 - Aug 8, 2020 -
10-Year Anniversary Exhibition
(Benefitting Tipping Point Community) Apr 26 - May 4, 2019Altman Siegel is pleased to present our 10-year anniversary exhibition. To show our appreciation for the artists, institutions, and community members who have supported our programming, we’ve organized a weeklong...Read more -
Trevor Paglen
Impossible Objects Mar 15 - May 5, 2018Altman Siegel is pleased to present Impossible Objects, Trevor Paglen's fourth solo exhibition at the gallery. Presenting new sculptures, photographs and works on paper, Impossible Objects offers multiple takes on...Read more -
From Counterculture to Cyberculture curated by David Lewis
Lucy Dodd, Alex Mackin Dolan, Dawn Kasper, Israel Lund, Jared Madere, K.R.M. Mooney, Trevor Paglen, Sean Paul and Bruce Conner Jul 7 - Aug 26, 2017This exhibition is inspired by, and named in honor of, Fred Turner's important history, From Counterculture to Cyberculture. The exhibition is not, however, a literal history. Rather: it extrapolates from...Read more -
FOG Art Fair 2017
Trevor Paglen, Sara VanDerBeek Jan 12 - 15, 2017 -
Will and Be Going To
An inaugural exhibition of the gallery artists at our new location 1150 25th Street Nov 11 - Dec 17, 2016 -
FOG Art Fair 2016
Trevor Paglen, Liam Everett Jan 14 - 17, 2016 -
Trevor Paglen
Mar 5 - May 2, 2015Altman Siegel is pleased to present Trevor Paglen’s third solo exhibition at the gallery. The exhibition is comprised of recent photographs, videos, and a major new sculptural work entitled Autonomy...Read more -
Jessica Dickinson, Shannon Ebner, Matt Keegan, Trevor Paglen, Will Rogan
Aug 12 - Sep 6, 2014 -
Frieze London 2013
Trevor Paglen Oct 17 - 20, 2013 -
Transmissions
Zarouhie Abdalian, Shannon Ebner, Matt Keegan, Trevor Paglen Jun 6 - Aug 31, 2013 -
Frieze London 2012
Devon Leonardi, Matt Keegan, Trevor Paglen Oct 11 - 14, 2012 -
Frieze New York 2012
Trevor Paglen, Will Rogan, Emily Wardill May 4 - 7, 2012 -
Trevor Paglen
Unhuman Feb 10 - Apr 2, 2011Altman Siegel Gallery is pleased to present a solo exhibition of new work by Trevor Paglen. This will be Paglen’s second exhibition with the gallery and will feature an entirely...Read more -
. . . And Then There Was X
Matt Keegan, Shinpei Kusanagi, Devin Leonardi, Trevor Paglen, Will Rogen, Garth Weiser May 21 - Jun 26, 2010Altman Siegel is pleased to present …And Then There Was X, a group show featuring highlights of the gallery program. …And Then There Was X includes new work by gallery...Read more -
Frieze London 2009
Trevor Paglen Oct 14 - 18, 2009 -
Trevor Paglen
Feb 27 - Apr 11, 2009Altman Siegel Gallery is pleased to present a solo exhibition of new work by Trevor Paglen. This will be Paglen’s debut exhibition with the gallery and will feature selections of...Read more
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Artforum
Dec 5, 2024 -
The New York Times
Oct 25, 2024 -
Variable West
Oct 24, 2024 -
The MIT Press Reader
Sep 23, 2024 -
e-flux Journal
Sep 10, 2024 -
SF/Arts
Sep 1, 2024 -
San Francisco Examiner
Nov 28, 2023 -
Artnet News
May 23, 2023 -
Artnet News
May 12, 2023 -
Art Papers
Art Papers, Mar 1, 2022 -
Forbes
Forbes, Jan 12, 2021 -
E-Flux
E-Flux, Nov 1, 2020 -
British Journal of Photography
British Journal of Photography, Oct 5, 2020 -
Art in America
Art in America, Sep 21, 2020 -
The New York Times
The New York Times, Sep 15, 2020 -
Art & Object
Art & Object, Jul 31, 2020 -
Contemporary Art Daily
Contemporary Art Daily, Jun 25, 2020 -
Wired
Wired, Sep 19, 2019 -
Frieze
Frieze, Jan 24, 2019 -
NPR
NPR, Dec 9, 2018 -
New Scientist
New Scientist, Nov 30, 2018 -
Artforum
Artforum, Nov 28, 2018 -
Tech Radar
Tech Radar, Nov 28, 2018 -
The Guardian
The Guardian, Nov 26, 2018 -
Frieze
Frieze, Nov 23, 2018 -
San Francisco Chronicle
San Francisco Chronicle, Nov 12, 2018 -
PBS/KQED
PBS/KQED, Sep 23, 2018 -
The Telegraph
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The Art Newspaper
The Art Newspaper, Jun 20, 2018 -
Art Net
Art Net, Jun 11, 2018 -
Observer
Observer, May 9, 2018 -
Cultured
Cultured, May 1, 2018 -
The Economist
The Economist , Mar 1, 2018 -
The Guardian
The Guardian, Nov 25, 2017 -
The New York Times T Magazine
The New York Times T Magazine, Aug 29, 2017 -
Artforum
Artforum, Jul 20, 2017 -
Wired
Wired, Apr 30, 2017 -
The New York Times T Magazine
The New York Times T Magazine, Jan 13, 2017 -
The San Francisco Chronicle
The San Francisco Chronicle, Jan 7, 2017 -
San Francisco Magazine
San Francisco Magazine, Jan 1, 2017 -
The New Inquiry
The New Inquiry, Dec 8, 2016 -
Kaleidoscope
Kaleidoscope, Dec 1, 2016 -
The Wall Street Journal
The Wall Street Journal, Jun 10, 2016 -
The Atlantic
The Atlantic, Jun 10, 2016 -
Bomb
Bomb, Mar 1, 2016 -
The New York Times
Oct 8, 2015 -
The New Yorker
The New Yorker, Sep 22, 2015 -
The Brooklyn Rail
The Brooklyn Rail, Sep 1, 2015 -
The Guardian
The Guardian, Mar 13, 2015 -
Contemporary Art Daily
Contemporary Art Daily, Mar 5, 2015 -
DIS
DIS, Jan 1, 2015 -
Frieze
Frieze, Jan 1, 2014 -
Artforum
Artforum, Apr 1, 2013 -
Frieze
Frieze, Jan 1, 2013 -
The New Yorker
The New Yorker, Oct 22, 2012 -
Artfourm
Artfourm, Aug 1, 2012 -
October
October, Sep 1, 2011 -
Artforum
Artforum, May 2, 2011 -
Frieze
Frieze, Apr 1, 2011 -
Photo-Eye Magazine
Photo-Eye Magazine, Feb 18, 2011 -
ArtReview
ArtReview, Jan 1, 2011 -
Time Magazine
Time Magazine, Sep 30, 2010 -
Los Angeles Times
Los Angeles Times, Sep 10, 2010 -
Art Papers
Art Papers, Sep 1, 2009 -
Artforum
Artforum, Mar 1, 2009 -
Aperture
Aperture, Jun 1, 2008