Brief
Artist Amanda Bennetts exposes targeted ads in new sculpture
Bennetts’ new work at the Australian Centre for Contemporary Art highlights the intrusive nature of data‑driven advertising after her own health diagnoses.
By Felo News Desk · Published
Australian conceptual artist Amanda Bennetts unveiled Axis Mundi at the Australian Centre for Contemporary Art on 29 September 2026. The two‑tall data towers, stacked vertically and pierced with stainless‑steel handrails, represent her response to the intrusive ads she began seeing after being diagnosed with a rare muscle disease and dermatomyositis. Bennetts said the ads—such as a funeral home image on SoundCloud and Instagram—were “a constant assault” that made her feel “terrifying” and “unwell” when she was already struggling with her health. The sculpture incorporates server racks, network switches, cooling fans, cables and screens, all veiled behind acrylic to illustrate how invisible infrastructure powers the ads that target vulnerable users. Bennetts described the piece as a “stab at revenge” against the algorithms that monetise her most personal moments.
Key facts
- Bennetts created Axis Mundi at the Australian Centre for Contemporary Art (smh.com.au)
- The sculpture features two server racks stacked vertically with stainless‑steel handrails (smh.com.au)
- Bennetts began receiving intrusive health‑related ads after her diagnoses of a rare muscle disease and dermatomyositis (smh.com.au)
- The work critiques how personal health data is used for targeted advertising (smh.com.au)
Sources
- [1] smh.com.au — originally reported as “Axis Mundi at ACCA: Artist Amanda Bennetts responds to the exploitation of personal health data in her latest survey show”
