June 7, 2015

Gallery exhibits don’t always shimmer and shine with excitement. But when you take something like technology and whittle it into an exhibit exploring the past 40 years of personal computing, intrigue and anticipation settle in.

Gallery exhibits don’t always shimmer and shine with excitement. But when you take something like technology and whittle it into an exhibit exploring the past 40 years of personal computing, intrigue and anticipation settle in.

If you find yourself in New York this summer, and have a chance to make the trek to Bard College before July 19, stroll over to the Bard Graduate Center (BGC) for a nifty exhibition called The Interface Experience: Forty Years of Personal Computing.

Part of what makes this exhibit so enjoyable – and ultimately successful – is that it’s interactive. You’re really able to engage with the bits and bobs of technology’s past that have paved the way for so many modern computing conveniences.

Take a walk down memory lane and appreciate the leaps technology has taken by exploring the features and functionality of now-antiquated (but still functional) devices like the PalmPilot (it’s ok, we all had one) and Macinstosh Plus.

If you can’t make the exhibit in person, you can still take part in this nostalgic experience. In addition to the landing page from the BGC, the exhibit itself has a pretty quirky microsite that’s easy to navigate, and get lost on. Much like the in-person experience, site visitors are able to explore connections between devices, for example, tracking the history of the current Apple Magic Trackpad back to the trackballs from the PowerBook 100 series.

For visitors of the site or exhibit looking for a memento to remember it by, BGC offers a hefty companion catalog for just $25.

INTERACTIVE EXPERIENCES

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