Kinetica Art Fair and Cybernetic Serendipity
Posted: February 8th, 2010 | Author: Sermad | Filed under: Art | CommentsThe Kinetica Art Fair was on over the weekend and I wandered down to see the sights and sounds. Having been the previous year, I was well prepared for more steampunk cyber art but the talks last year were the highlight – although this year I missed the talks.
So onto the show. It was PACKED full of people which was great for everyone. I’m really hoping it was a massive success and elevated new forms of art to the masses. Here is a bref recap of caught my eye.
Balint Bolygo – Traces
This was a mechanical drawing device that took plaster casts of heads and traced their contours and drew them out onto paper – A sort of 3D to 2D process. It was really interesting to watch it happen in realtime and the mechanical direct feel really made me want to watch this artwork form. The output was just as interesting – Something a bit disgusting and indefinable.
A very simple yet beautiful piece of work – If you imagine hundreds of threads of light forming ethereal bodies floating in space. I think the artist used fibre optic cables and ‘cut’ them to let the light bleed out thus creating the forms. There was no interaction or gimmickry (something common to a lot of the work) and I really liked it.
Kinetic Masters
My favourite section of the fair was the area devoted to pioneers of computer / cyber art. You can imagine at the time just how far these guys were innovating and their pieces are still of artistic value to this day. Just shows the process of creating art is irrelevant if the end result connects with you on some level.
Bruce Lacey – R.O.S.A B.O.S.O.M. (1966): Radio.Operated. Simulated. Actress. Battery. Or. Standby. Operated. Mains.
A very strange robotic thing which cropped up in the 60’s cult fim – Smashing Time (thanks Steve for the note on that).
(image from the Telegraph)
Franciszka Themerson – Cybernetic serendipity Poster
I had heard of this ground breaking show at the I.C.A and it was brilliant to study the poster up close. A lovely piece of polish graphic design. A shame I left my camera at home as I wanted to note down all the artists present – If anyone has the poster or the programme of artists could they drop me a line. I’m sure I recalled that Xenakis was present.
Here is a nicer picture of the poster.
(image from malpawalewska)
Vassilakis Takis – Poster (Sorry haven’t got the designer details).
Harry Bertoia – Sound Sculptures
You might not know Bertoia as an artist but his forms as chairs you will certainly know. His ‘diamond’ chair is very well known.
So overall a very interesting experience. Some of the ‘art’ I would classify as playful interactions but then others would class it as art or even the process of creating the art. A debate I couldn’t get drawn to far into.
For another review of the fair, check Chris O’ Sheas excellent pixelsumo site.
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