Robotanika: Genesis
Published on May 19th, 2017Robotanica/ subtitled Genesis is an exhibition / performative situation running intensely from 23rd May to 8th June 2017 at Cirkulacija 2 in Tobačna Ljubljana. Exhibition is also a festivity of 10 years of Cirkulacija 2 initiative activities.
During the time we host four international artists, whose specific aesthetic approaches are put to front by special performative events: Lars Vaupel (DE/ Hamburg), Ewa Justka (PO/GB/London), Adam Donovan (AU/A/Zürich) and Karl Heinz Jeron (DE/ Berlin).
Schedule of events:
tuesday, 23rd May at 20.20: Opening of Robotanikka/ Genesis
friday, 26th May at 21.00: Ewa Justka / SOUND=LIGHT || LIGHT=SOUND?
tuesday, 30th May at 21.00: Adam Donovan
tuesday, 6th June at 21.00: Karl Heinz Jeron / Opera Robotanica
Residents: Boštjan Čadež, Dominik Mahnič, Boštjan Leskovšek, Borut Savski, Stefan Doepner.
Robotanica project is a special exhibition and events approach that we’ve been developing in the last year. In 2016 we performed twice under the title of Robotanical Garden (Velenje/ Slovenia and in Trieste/ Italy). The two occasions were the testing grounds for the new principle, that is now expanded and multiplied by invited artists and additional objects and principles. The introductory performences confirmed that the concept of exhibition is extremely communicative for the visitors and their responses were very good.
The Genesis subtitle introduces the biblical allegory and adds the mythology of the beginning and the end of the world. Genesis is of course the birth of the World.
The basic attribute of Robotanica approach is “the view from below”, meaning that the devices themselves are the main actuators (actors) of the situation, which encompasses move, light and sound. This views are multiplied by the projections to the four corners of the world/ walls – creating predominantly a space of devices – a kind of contemporary Garden of Eden where a Human might only be a visitor – an object in the projection. Not a catastrophic image of modern world – on the contrary!
The presentation form is a 14-day exhibition/ installation of objects, media and principles that coexist in space. All objects/ principles show some measure of autonomy in their domains of behavior. It can be the result of coincidence, random algorithm, or interactive or generative behavior. The cacophony of cross-related inter-influencing might be the chirping of the birds of paradise. Or the terrifying roaring coming from the dark forest…
The majority of objects, principles are provided and developed by the resident artists. This represents the backbone of the exhibition. So, the exhibition is also a kind of overview of the ten years of production by some of the artists participating at Cirkulacija 2 events.
In the time of exhibition the guest arrive and depart one after another – adding their objects and approaches, and taking them back home. Thus the exhibition park of devices constantly varies and the exhibition has multiple peaks.
We invited extremely dedicated international artists : Karl Heinz Jeron (DE/ Berlin), Ewa Justka (Poland/GB/London), Adam Donovan (Australia / Zűrich) and Lars Vaupel (DE/ Hamburg), that have greeted the possibilities of Robotanica exhibition concept. Especially the younger artists invited are at the peak of their activities, while the matures are estebleshed as for-runners of cybernetic arts. This should keep some distance to the usual trendy-hype approaches. The artists will provide their moving objects / devices, simple or complex robotized installations, simple audio-video synthesizers, electromagnetic receivers, scanners, etc.
Lars Vaupel
Hamburg/ Germany. Artist, electronic devices developer, programmer. Worked for a couple of businesses in Hamburg as development engineer – in parallel developed his own artistic projects and providing technical support to other artists. Freelancer form 2003. Co.founder of art group F18 in Hamburg. Development and building of a six-legged “Exoskeleton” robot for Stelarc. Art-works restauration of Angela Bulloch’s „Blue Horizon“ painting machine. Exhibition „Zufalls Spuren“ in Cabaret Voltaire/Zürich (2007). Participation at machines performance concert BBM Phaenomenale in Wolfsburgu in Germany (2007). Adaptation of „SEEK“ installation from 1969 for Lutz Dammbeck’s work “Rereeducation“ in COMA gallery in Berlin. Digital Arts Week 2007 exhibition in Zürich with drawing robot. With BBM: reactivation of two EXPO2000 robots for G5 gallery in Munich. Permanent collaboration with Stefan Doepner’s projects (Robot Partner series, etc.).
Ewa Justka
Poland/ GB/ London. Electronic music, noise, sound art, musician. Currently in London on master’s degree studies of computer arts at Goldsmiths College. Self-taught builderof electronic sound instruments – an important part of her artistic work. Her area of work is based on reasearch of materiality of objects, the nature of their vibration (human body, body of plants’ bodies, electronic circuits, the changes of their macro and micro locations and relations between the former and latter). Explores the principles of quasi-direct influencing/ sensing. All this is presented at her live performances, interactive installations, in her DIY electronics, etc. In art she tries to sense the concept of the materiality of the hidden, she says. She performed at festivals: Loop Festival, Sonic Acts Academy, Supernormal Festival, Club Transmediale, STEIM, Colour out of Space, Beam Festival, Cafe Oto, etc. In 2015 she appeared at Kiblix festivalin Maribor.
http://ewajustka.tumblr.com/
Adam Donovan
australian artist, works in Zűrich/ Switzerland, recently in Vienna/ Austria. Self-declared as hybrid arts artist – pinned between art, science and technology. His work is in the areas of non-linear acoustics/ sound, robotic sculptures, VR interactive space („game engine“) and sensing the space with camera. Donovan’s work combines the very specialized field of acoustic science with visual arts. From 1996 his field of research is directive sound and acoustic lenses with which he created some interactive installations. Participation with scientists is necessary, giving him the knowledge to develop his prototypes. In the field of interdisciplinary arts Donovan is using some of the most innovative physics methods. Works: 2015: Saturn 3 (WRO Media Art Biennial, Wrocław Poljska), 2015: Psychophysics Machines (Den Haag, Nizozemska), 2014: Hot particle, Always Forever Now, timelessness and the currency of new media (das weisse haus, Dunaj Avstrija), 2013: Parabolic Swimming (Swiss Mechatronic Art Society, Wildhause Švica), 2013: Curious Tautophone (Poolloop Festival, Zurich Švica).
http://adamdonovan.net/
Karl Heinz Jeron
lives and works Berlin. From 1999-2006 lecturer of multimedia arts at Arts Academy Berlin. His work makes use of surprisingly simple concepts of building up machines that produce complex function/ dynamics. For Robotanica: Genesis his work Hermes opera could be very interesting – the singing sounding robots. He has many ideas – let’s wait and see. Participation at media festivals: 1993 Ostranenie, Bauhaus Dessau, 1994 MedienBiennale Leipzig, 1995 Ars Electronica – Linz Austria, 1996 European Media Art Festival Osnabrück, 1997 Documenta X Kassel, 1999 Expo Destructo London, 1999 Internet Art Exhibition Tokyo; 1999 Net_condition ZKM Karlsruhe, 1999 Prix Ars Electronica Linz, itd.. Novejša dela: 2006 A la recherche du temps perdu (SPACE gallery, London), 2007 Will Work For Food (HTTP gallery, London and Istanbul Contemporary Art Museum, Turkey), 2011 Narrative/Identity (AC Institute NY, Transmediale, Berlin), 2011 Fresh Music For Rotten Vegetables (Tank London), 2012 Blower (ŠKUC Ljubljana), PIXXELPOINT 2014 (Nova Gorica), Fruity Oscilator with Theremidi Orchestra (Ksevt Slovenija), 2015 Hermes Opera (Athens Digital Arts Festival).
http://jeron.org/
Project’s metaphors
The concept of devices is expanded to the “principles”, which encompasses also non-material (“less material”) forms of actuators: electromagnetic waves/ cosmic ray activity, changes in temperature, sound and light sensing, sensing of the earth magnetic field, non-linear electronic and software decisions and transformations/ perturbations. All these are actors, that will be included and either add the view from below, or even the view from above.
On one side this duality of views has to do with intelligence, culture, civilization, the overview of the whole, as with overseer, control – mostly a restrictive/ prohibiting category. The other side is the view of the individual, in machines often realized with a webcam (video-view), or with sound or other form of data/ signals. This represents the sensing from below – in our case we promote it as area of individuality, coincidence – the personal freedom. Metaphor with human sociaety is clear. The intermediate space suggests the reality: spanned between ideas of the open and the closed.
In artistic practices both principles are superimposed as order and chaos, as classical form or open form. Our field of interest is not allegory of any of the two radical positions, but coexistence of both coordinates. The space opens up only with both determinants present. Not a situation without conflicts!
Practical implementations of “actors”
As described, the meaning of devices / principles is not anymore that they provide some immediate function for us (tools), but are liberated entities. Actors/ actuators can be “natural” (light, temperature, electro-magnetic field), but are always transferred/ transformed/ changed – in linear or non-linear fashion – digitally or analogue. They can even be computer programs, meaning that they appear/ sustain themselves in the form of logic language. In this case it is again the language bringing the meaning/ motivation/ movement. Of course, it is a derivation of the human language. A biblical metaphor: “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God” (Genesis).
Robotanica: Genesis project has an active development phase being performed on the devices “from below”, and also on the devices “from above”. The below devices are in the domain of their authors, while the above devices (“the ones determining the limits; prohibitions”) are the matter of agreement. The central control can be some of these:
a.) central eye (usually video camera),
b.) a matrix of beakons mapping the space (usually IR lighthouses),
interesting would be also to check
c.) the intelligence of a swarm, where the actors organize themselves by sensing the most immediate colleagues – and adapt (self-organization; can be possible with RFID). A very simple protocol should be used.
Supported by:
Robotanica/ Genesis project is supported by the Ministry of Culture of Republic of Slovenia
Four year program of Cikrulacija 2 is supported by the City of Ljubljana