#arts12gallery2

The Immortal (2012)

Artist:  Revital Cohen

Described as a “Frankenstein-esque machine" by Cohen, The Immortal contains five life-support machines connected to each other (a heart-lung machine, a dialysis machine, an infant incubator, a mechanical ventilator, and an intraoperative cell salvage apparatus) (Dayal, Wired).  The work attempts to mimic a living organism with salted water a replacement for blood while the ECG machine measures the beat of its heart. The Immortal questions our dependency on technology and machines.  

References:

revitalcohen.com/project/the-immortal/

http://www.fastcodesign.com/1669770/artist-hacks-5-life-support-machines-so-they-all-keep-each-other-alive#3

http://www.wired.com/underwire/2012/05/the-immortal-medical-machines/

Fragments of RGB (2010)

Artist: Onformative Studio (Julia Laub and Cedric Kiefer)

Berlin, Germany

Fragments of RGB is an interactive installation made from an LED screen which a displays face of a woman.  Upon approaching the screen, the viewer breaks the image, and the face of the woman becomes distorted and fragments into pixels. The original conception of the work was influenced by the LED screens most people pass by on the street.This project experiments with the alteration of the idea of illusion and perception. 

References:

http://www.onformative.com/work/fragments-of-rgb/

http://www.random-magazine.net/2011/03/fragments-of-rgb/

http://vimeo.com/21235126

Serge Salat

Beyond Infinity, 2011

China

Beyond Infinity is an immersive, multisensory installation created by French artist, architect, and theorist Serge Salat.  Salat combines both Eastern style spatial techniques and Western use of optical illusions to create a dreamlike realm for visitors to journey through and interact with.  It consists of a closed space filled with mirrors, pulsing and shifting lights, music, and steel, honeycomb fractal art structures.  The purpose of the combination of these elements is to overwhelm, confuse, and manipulate the visitors’ sense of direction.  Visitors drop their sense of rationality and control, and immerse themselves in the optical illusion that the space is an infinite realm of many layers, an optical illusion achieved with fractal structures and mirror panels. 

Reference: http://www.designboom.com/weblog/cat/10/view/16645/serge-salat-beyond-the-infinity-immersive-installation.html

Reference: http://www.architizer.com/en_us/blog/dyn/29771/beyond-infinity/

Video: http://vimeo.com/29089043

Harald Haraldsson, Super Nature Design

Prisma 1666, 2011

Shanghai

Prisma 1666 is an interactive light installation created under the collaboration of Harald Haraldsson and Shanghai-based design studio, Super Nature Design, for the 2011 International Science and Art Exhibition in Shanghai.  It is a nod to Sir Issac Newton's 1666 experiments with the light-refraction properties of crystal prisms that led to the discovery of the study of optics and color theory.  The installation consists of 15 triangular crystal prisms scattered randomly across a white surface and two light projectors controlled by touchscreen.  A participant is able to experiment with light beams through the touchscreen, adjusting their colors, angles, and shape.  This firsthand experience results in many different kinds of scenarios of light refractions as well as an understanding in how Newton went about his experiments.

Reference: http://wonwei.com/output/interactive-installation-prisma-1666/

Reference: http://haraldharaldsson.com/PRISMA-1666

Video: http://vimeo.com/31136390