Staubgold Label Party

Sometimes it really pays off to be in Cologne rather than London!

Due to the occasion of the Art Cologne which seems to be going down right now, Staubgold, one of Cologne's finest labels, throws a party with some exclusive guests:

LEAFCUTTER JOHN (London/Staubgold/Planet Mu) live
feat. Alice Grant und Leo Chadburn
PAUL WIRKUS (Köln/Staubgold/Quecksilber) live
+ special guest
SIMON BOOKISH (London/Tomlab/Use Your Teeth) live
+
DJ Markus Detmer (Berlin/Staubgold)


The venue will be MTC. Small, sweaty but cozy. For those of you who happen to be around, be there. Paul Wirkus is definitely worth a visit.

Dada 2.0

I came across the portfolio webpage of Portuguese digital and robotic artist Leonel Moura. There are some really cool things on there so I suggest you check it out. One of his latest works is a destructive robot called Dada 2.0. It apparently destroys everything which is in the reach of its sensors.

You can find a video of the performance here.


Digging a little bit further while trying to find out more about Leonel Moura, I followed some links to a really nice genealogical tree of robotic art, for anybody who's interested...

Kinetica

Last Sunday I went to the rather crowded Spitalfields market in order to check out this little gem which is located right inside the market space: the Kinetica Museum.

It is allegedly the UK's first museum dedicated to kinetic, electronic and digital art.
Some impressions:


This is a mechanical installation which simulates the movement of a feather and is hooked up to a motion sensor in order to detect the blades of grass. I personally like the rustic, nature-like look of it.




A huge inflatable sculpture which simulates the breathing process of a human being. There are two of these attached to each other and the air always floats from one to the other. A bird-view of the smaller version below.




Several snapshots of "writing machines". The German word for typewriter is Schreibmaschine which loosely translates to "writing machine". Seen in this light, that notion becomes an unforeseen twist and opens up a new perspective to think about these media.





An interactive projection piece which responds to moving objects inserted in the projection range -like a hand for example- and changes its shape accordingly. My suspicion is that along with the projection, it features a camera with real-time imaging software which analyses the projection grid and changes the objects' shape. The kids loved it.



A solar powered mobile which generates its own movement by tiny propellers which are attached to the particular parts. Neat and simple. I liked it.




Pictures in this post are licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-Share Alike 2.5 UK: Scotland License.

Tim's graduate piece

Last week I went to Germany again to visit the graduate show of my friend Tim. He made a very nice interactive installation piece. It's kind of a plotter which paints a picture according to certain set algorithms.
One of these algorithms -for example- entails the command that it is not allowed to paint a previously exisiting line twice. The plotter is therefore forced to branch off into another direction every time it crosses a previous line.
The whole process is triggered by a motion sensor, which results in a situation in which the piece only actively works when somebody is present in within the range of the sensor.

The concept of the piece derives from the ways in which composers like John Cage were trying to find different ways to transcribe their pieces. I have yet to read the essay which accompanies the piece but I will keep you posted!

Welcome

Hello all!

Welcome to my blog! In here I will write and tell things about myself, my friends and family as well as things which are happening around the world or things which I find interesting or noteworthy. Feel free to leave comments and links or anything you would like to contribute! Thanks!