technology | implicit art

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17 October 2005 by nathaniel

Marco Cianfanelli @ Gallery Momo

left: Marco Cianfanelli @ Gallery Momo.
Each sculpture shown is Untitled, 2005

Altho I could have done without his video piece (and the rest of his work could then have been spread out more, using the blocked out room), this is an absolutely stunning show of emotive and quirky sculptures and sculpture-like, um, thingers. It’s a Joburg must-see. From the Gallery Momo site:

Cianfanelli continues his exploration of computer aided design in the realisation of his work. He is exploring new ground in terms of exploiting that data to inform and understand new forms and meaning. Measurement has become a key instrument for the artist, who has come to the conclusion that the digital realm is merely an evolution of the first moment when humans started to measure the world around them. In addition digitally designed and precision laser cut form is no longer an end product but potentially a starting point to configuring work.

Over the past ten years, Cianfanelli has explored various possibilities for artistic intervention in the public and commercial realm. This activity has developed to the point that not only has the gap between gallery and project work narrowed but project work has reached a level of sophistication that it has started to inform and develop the artist’Äôs work produced purely for exhibition.

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15 October 2005 by nathaniel

Ralph Borland in NYC: Suited for Subversion

South Africa’s own Ralph Borland is exhibiting on a group show in NYC at the Museum of Modern Art (MOMA), right now! Suited for Subversion is part of the exhibition SAFE: Design Takes on Risk, October 16, 2005 – January 2, 2006.

Here’s two pics he sent me from over in the states:

Ralph Borland and his Suited for Subversion at the MOMA, and in the streets of NYC. He wore that same suit as my date to the Kebbles in 2003; my wife thought he looked good. Pictures by Kim Silberman

Suited for Subversion draws on Ralph Borland’s work as an activist involved in street demonstrations in New York. Made of vinyl stuffed with polyurethane foam, the suit protects the wearer from police batons at large-scale street protests, and monitors the wearer’s pulse. In the centre of the suit’s chest is a speaker that projects this amplified heartbeat. It can also be used to play music and chant slogans.

As much as my suit is armour, it is also disarming; as much provocation as protection.

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14 October 2005 by nathaniel

odys for your iPod @ odys.org

the odys series was always intended for intimate viewings; even when it premiered at the Johannesburg Art Museum as an installation, I had six separate screens, each with headphones. Viewers were encouraged to re-visit and jump over juxtaposed media, and create a shifting collage.

Now you can get very personal, and re-visit all you like — all six videos have been optimized for the new iPod and iTunes.
odys for your iPod is now free at odys.org

note: I’ve not yet tested this on many Macs, or any PCs, so please let me know if you have any trouble… Hell, the new iPod ain’t even available in South Africa yet, but I thought this’d be fun. Also, if anyone knows how to make a link that imports directly into iTunes, I’m all ears….

It’s 1:35 AM in SA; I am going to bed. Will get to bugs, and add to Rhizome ArtBase, this weekend. Shout out to Marisa Olson and Francis Hwang, the only iPod artists I know. I hope we’ll see more soon.

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13 October 2005 by nathaniel

Apple does it again

OMG, Apple’s new iTunes let’s you download animations from Pixar, your favorite TV shows from the night before, etc… The new iMac has a remote control to download and play (and a built-in iSight to play with other goodies), and the new iPod lets you transfer any and all of the above to it.

At $1.99 per 1-hour TV show, and being the only place (other than P2P’s) you can get this stuff, it’s actually a great deal — even from SA. I want to see the new season of Lost, dude, but bandwidth on the P2P is too pricey from the third world; $2 is not!

Apple

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11 October 2005 by nathaniel

Toni’s Gallery :: Interactive Video Workshop

Some pictures from the lecture and workshop in Grahamstown (more to be uploaded in the next day or two):

Toni’s Gallery :: Interactive Video Workshop

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09 October 2005 by nathaniel

wireless in the wilderness

koji chiba at the studio for interactive sound, grahamstown

Friday afternoon, thanks to the Studio for Interactive Sound (Toni Olivier) and Rhodes’ Fine art Department (Brent Meistre), I gave a 3-hours (ish) public lecture on the history of interactive video (including some of my own work, cuz I can) and showed some tools one might use to make them — including jitter, which is great for getting started.

Altho we had plans to paint the town red, hang with Rhodents, see the sites(!), etc, everything admittedly went a bit haywire once we started drinking (that seems to happen a lot when I am out of Joburg. And when I am in Joburg.)

It was a great night.

Yesterday, a select few came out to Toni’s place, on a farm in the middle of nowhere, and we learned the basics of Max. W00t. Today we’ll be starting and playing with some art projects. There is no phone signal, but limited interweb – could not resist blogging the Koji; he is awesome and gave me cLoudDead mp3s.