"I was fascinated by the subculture of SETI@home, in which people all over
the world donate their computer power to analyse radio signals for
extraterrestrial activity, often building giant servers in their garage or home
office. Looking at photos of old PC towers haphazardly wired together, there
was something both humorous and moving about the hopes and aspirations
placed on these pieces of obsolete hardware, all of which were destined to
one day fail and break down.
I’m interested in the subconscious layer of the world - hidden desires and
realities that lie beneath the surface of things, and how we make sense of life
by telling ourselves stories. In Explorer I wanted to show someone in a
desperate situation, living in an environment stripped down to a
technological core - and the mental journey they would go on to find
beauty and meaning in such a place." - Alex Backhouse, Director
