Beyond the Silicon

Pool Party

noreply@blogger.com (E.STRANGE FOR SILICON SOUL) — Thu, 18 Mar 2010 19:53:00 +0000

No jumping. No diving. No water. Nobody’s getting wet here.

Leandro Erlich’s Swimming Pool is a truly accessible interactive experience. You don't need to be an art expert to get under the surface of this one. The pool at the Museum of Modern Art’s P.S.1 Contemporary Art Center will remain open until April 5th 2010. Catch it!

For stills and more info click here

Low Light Kinetic Field Art

noreply@blogger.com (Silicon Soul) — Mon, 15 Mar 2010 16:46:00 +0000

True, this vid went viral months ago, but BTS would be slacking if we didn't pay homage to electric sheep. Realization by the BaaaStuds, dream by Philip K. Dick.

(Thanks J. Stone, our stoned-strange viral filterer!)

Walking on Infinite Grass

noreply@blogger.com (E.STRANGE FOR SILICON SOUL) — Fri, 12 Mar 2010 03:26:00 +0000

Performance art gone green or an organic treadmill heralding an agro exercise boom. You make the call.

All we know is that Walking on Infinite Grass was recorded and preserved for the ages at CSAW Gallery back in 2006. The creator remains anonymous.

Karo & Tetra

noreply@blogger.com (E.STRANGE FOR SILICON SOUL) — Mon, 08 Mar 2010 18:42:00 +0000

Ever view a deceptively simply kinetic sculpture and wonder how it came together? Well wonder no more, at least as far as Karo #1 by Ralfonso is concerned. The profile below takes us from design sketches to computer modeling to the real deal in less that five minutes.

Karo# 1 is like a fluid diamond undulating in the wind. Light reflective, multifaceted shapes and fluid movement are recurring themes in Ralfonso’s work as evidenced in our second offering from the artist, Tetra.

A Clockwork Onion

noreply@blogger.com (Silicon Soul) — Thu, 04 Mar 2010 16:01:00 +0000

At the recently concluded 13th Japan Media Arts Festival artist David Bowen (whom we featured last November) won the grand prize in the art division. With a laser device for eyes, his Growth Modeling Device watches and reproduces the growth cycle of an onion as a beautiful, mechanical abomination. Click on the photo below to view a video of this kinetic installation.

Antimonument

noreply@blogger.com (Silicon Soul) — Mon, 01 Mar 2010 21:58:00 +0000

Rafael Lozano-Hemmer is known for large scale installations in public spaces beyond his Vectorial Elevation pieces. (See post from last week). From his bio: "Using robotics, projections, sound, internet and cell-phone links, sensors and other devices, his installations aim to provide 'temporary antimonuments for alien agency.'" Below is a video documentation of Underscan (2005).

Singing Ringing

noreply@blogger.com (E.STRANGE FOR SILICON SOUL) — Thu, 25 Feb 2010 18:24:00 +0000

Created by architects Mike Tonkin and Anna Liu of Tonkin Liu, the Singing Ringing Tree was designed to take advantage of the perpetual winds buffeting the hills of Lancashire, England.

Sounds like choral humming to me, but I have a bad ear. Take a listen for yourself in the video below.

But wait there’s more. The tree was one of four structures commissioned by a progressive public art program. The development of the project, the construction of the tree and the official launch of this permanent installation are covered in the following profile.

Vectorial Vancouver

noreply@blogger.com (Silicon Soul) — Mon, 22 Feb 2010 17:21:00 +0000

Artist Rafael Lozano-Hemmer has mounted the interactive light sculpture Vectorial Elevation in several cities. His current installation was commissioned by the 2010 Cultural Olympiad and the City of Vancouver and runs through February 28. The best part is that unlike the Olympic Games, which require years of training, determination and sacrifice in order to participate, anyone with an internet connection can join this event and transform the skies over Vancouver. Click here to learn how. See what others have done in the public time-lapse videos below.

From 2010timelapse

Here's an entire night with music from KitsKam.

The Beast Master

noreply@blogger.com (E.STRANGE FOR SILICON SOUL) — Thu, 18 Feb 2010 18:17:00 +0000

Theo Jansen is a kinetic sculptor and creature builder. He creates wind powered, alien looking beasts whose movements have a life like quality. Check out his Animaris Rhinoceros and see for yourself.

Take a tour of Jansen's studio and see how he puts it all together.

Jansen talked about his work at the TED Conference in March 2007.

Listening Post

noreply@blogger.com (Silicon Soul) — Tue, 16 Feb 2010 19:27:00 +0000

Listening Post by Ben Rubin and Mark Hansen grabs text fragments from internet chat rooms and spits them back out via synthesized voice in realtime. (Admittedly, this is a rather coarse description of a truly exquisite piece.) Having toured internationally and won many awards over the years, Listening Post can be considered a "blockbuster." First seen at the Whitney Museum in 2002, it's good to be able to revisit with this video.

Flora and Harmony

noreply@blogger.com (E.STRANGE FOR SILICON SOUL) — Thu, 11 Feb 2010 20:34:00 +0000

Electrical appliances and stage equipment come together to form Flora and Harmony. Creators Niklas Roy and Wojtek Kucharczyk describe this work as a "technoid, kinetic indoor jungle“.

This interactive exhibit attempts to engage you through all the senses. Come gaze at the structure's complexity, feel the breeze from the electric fans, smell the air freshener, handle the controls, eat the candy.

Kinetica

noreply@blogger.com (Silicon Soul) — Mon, 08 Feb 2010 17:41:00 +0000

The second annual Kinetica Art Fair, produced by the Kinetica Museum in London, concluded yesterday. Over 35 galleries and art organizations participated with over 150 artists exhibiting. From the website:

The Kinetica Art Fair provides collectors, curators, museums and the public with a unique opportunity to view and purchase artworks from leading international galleries, artist's collectives, curatorial groups and organisations specialising in kinetic, electronic and new media art. Kinetica's aim through the fair is to popularise artists and organisations working in these genres and to provide a new platform for the commercial enterprise of this field.

Here's the coverage from London's Channel 4 News

and a slide show from Where the Art Is.

Fiber Wave

noreply@blogger.com (E.STRANGE FOR SILICON SOUL) — Fri, 05 Feb 2010 15:20:00 +0000

Makoto Sei Watanabe, creator of Fiber Wave, classifies the project as a work of environmental sculpture. Illuminated by the sun. Animated by the wind. This one was made for the great outdoors.

There's also an indoor version of the work for you less outdoorsy types to enjoy. Click on the photo below for information and photos of Fiber Wave 2.

Mech Cloud

noreply@blogger.com (E.STRANGE FOR SILICON SOUL) — Mon, 01 Feb 2010 16:00:00 +0000

Much like its organic namesake, the appearance of Cloud is in constant flux. Created by David Rokeby, the work is composed of 100 individual elements suspended from a grid and manipulated by computer automated motors.

You can find this piece in the Great Hall at the Ontario Science Centre.

Data as Art

noreply@blogger.com (Silicon Soul) — Thu, 28 Jan 2010 18:39:00 +0000

In a way that is quite different from the visualizations of Aaron Koblin in our post from last month, Ryoji Ikeda also explores the possibilities of data as art. Here are two of Ikeda's audio/visual concerts at Ars Electronica 2009 (Austria)

and at the 2009 MiTo International Music Festival (Italy).

For further information, visit Ikeda's official site.

Full Body Gaming

noreply@blogger.com (E.STRANGE FOR SILICON SOUL) — Mon, 25 Jan 2010 17:33:00 +0000

Perhaps we'll label this one minimalist interactive art. From the designers at Feedtank, the people who brought you Dance Floor Moves, it's Full Body Games. Four different experiences, no joy sticks, no hand held controller. Just you and the screen. Take that, Wii. Project Natal, you're late to this party; Full Body Games was shown at ImaginOn in 2005 and MediaNoche Gallery in 2006.

Lucid

noreply@blogger.com (Silicon Soul) — Fri, 22 Jan 2010 16:07:00 +0000

We were fortunate to be in the audience for last Wednesday's showing of Lucid Possession at Culturemart '10, the annual festival featuring performances by the resident artists of the hybrid performance art space Here. The work-in-progress was conceived, written and directed by Toni Dove. With live vocals and violin, audio/video mixing through gesture, a robot, multiple projections, and original music by Elliott Sharp and Mari Kimura, Lucid Possession was complex and compelling. You can get a taste by viewing this trailer. (Toggle Hi Def in upper right corner)

This run of Lucid Possession is over, but Culturemart '10 continues through January 30th.

Invader - Deuxième Partie

noreply@blogger.com (E.STRANGE FOR SILICON SOUL) — Tue, 19 Jan 2010 15:06:00 +0000

The second wave of Invader's attack is upon us. This time around the outlaw French artist shows us his studio work. Observe how he takes an iconic object from the 1980’s and uses it literally as a building block in his work. Pop cultural detritus is converted into high art in the hands of Invader.

...

Silicon Soul says, "Game (still) on." In last week's Invader Alert post we reported that we'd been "Invaded" and that we had photographed the Invader art (See below.) somewhere in lower Manhattan. No one has won yet. View hint at bottom of Invader Alert for first clue. Follow the link below to the second clue. Here's how to play:

Locate this Invader artwork (below) in lower Manhattan.
Decode the message. (Hint: It's NOT a QR code and you don't need an iPhone.You do need a camera and decoder for this 2D barcode.)
Photograph yourself next to the code. (optional)
Email decoded message and address of the place you found it to us through our contact page. We'll let you know if you've won.

Fine print: If you're related to us or have ever worked with or for us, you can't play. Game ends when we say it's over. Our decision is final.
Click here for hint #2. Good luck!

Waves

noreply@blogger.com (Silicon Soul) — Sat, 16 Jan 2010 18:36:00 +0000

Last night the members of Silicon Soul attended a mesmerizing performance of Floating Point Waves, conceived and designed by Ximena Garnica & Shige Moiya, with electronic soundscape by Jeremy D. Slater. Described as "an installation of strings and water, real-time video and projection and live electronic music [converging] to create a stunning, seamless landscape in which a single Butoh artist moves." As part of Here Art Center's Culturemart 2010, Floating Point Waves runs through Sunday, January 17.

Below is an excerpt from an earlier version of the work, performed at CAVE in Brooklyn (with Ninni Morgia on guitar).

Line Dancing

noreply@blogger.com (E.STRANGE FOR SILICON SOUL) — Wed, 13 Jan 2010 16:28:00 +0000

Here's a fun and artistic way to waste even more time on the job when you should be working. This creative exercise comes to us courtesy of the Museum of Modern Art in NYC. Click on the link below and begin your masterpiece.

"Lines go all over the place."

Be sure to play with the settings (Fade, Color, Lots) and move your cursor around for a truly interactive experience.

Invader Alert

noreply@blogger.com (E.STRANGE FOR SILICON SOUL) — Mon, 11 Jan 2010 21:37:00 +0000

OK try and follow this: French street artist, Invader, creates low tech art with a retro digital look and encrypts some of the pieces with coded messages, which require high tech devices to read. Oh, and he posts most of his work outdoors, with no authorization, in cities all over the globe.

Invader explains it all in this interview courtesy of jetsetgraffiti.com. This dude is serious about his outlaw status. He does the entire interview wearing a welding helmet.

...
Important message from Silicon Soul: Yikes! We've been "Invaded!" We photographed the Invader art (below) somewhere in lower Manhattan. First person to tell us where it is and what it says, wins a fabulous prize (and bragging rights). Here's how to play:

Locate this Invader artwork (below) in lower Manhattan.
Decode the message. (Hint: It's NOT a QR code and you don't need an iPhone.You do need a camera and decoder for this 2D barcode.)
Photograph yourself next to the code. (optional)
Email decoded message and address of the place you found it to us through our contact page. We'll let you know if you've won.

Fine print: If you're related to us or have ever worked with or for us, you can't play. Game ends when we say it's over. Our decision is final.
Click here for another hint. Good luck!

What Is Interactive Art?

noreply@blogger.com (Silicon Soul) — Fri, 08 Jan 2010 20:32:00 +0000

Here's one answer from artist/architect Daan Roosegaarde

and one example of his work, Liquid Space 6.0.

Roosegaarde's Dune is currently on exhibit as part of the Victoria & Albert Museum's Decode, which runs through April 11, 2010.

Cranky

noreply@blogger.com (E.STRANGE FOR SILICON SOUL) — Wed, 06 Jan 2010 18:48:00 +0000

Casey Curran's self-described "bling bling micro-ecologies" are fascinating even in their static mode. Created from common objects, which some might classify as useless trash, these intricate kinetic sculptures become functional mini worlds with the turn of a hand crank.

See for yourself in two of Curran’s collections.

The White Series (Biosphere)

Oceania

Not Quite Pandora

noreply@blogger.com (Silicon Soul) — Mon, 04 Jan 2010 14:47:00 +0000

Imagine a world where all life is connected through a network of energy that flows through every living plant and animal. Perhaps this was Tobias Koller's inspiration when he started working on his Interactive Grass - Prototype for the Interaction Design Program at Zurich University of the Arts.

Not quite planet Pandora (from Avatar), but it's a start.

DIY for the Holidays

noreply@blogger.com (Silicon Soul) — Sat, 26 Dec 2009 20:01:00 +0000

Hanukkah and Christmas 2009 have come and gone. But it's still not too late to get craftsy for the holidays, especially with Kuumba, Kwanzaa's day of creativity, fast approaching. And we're not talking scarf-knitting/cookie-baking either. In the spirit of this blog we present a couple of do-it-yourself, technology-art, gift giving ideas.

LittleBits by Ayah Bdeir allows you to create complex electronic structures with little engineering knowledge.

Not much of a hardware person? Arcs 21 by Lia is one of many apps available which provides tools to create visual (or sound) art right on the iPhone/Pod.

So have fun, be creative, send to printer (There's an app for that!) and give to friends and family.

Happy Holidays! Beyond the Silicon will be back in 2010.