JOIN USUnusual artists in usual spaces
What if a two-dimensional Quick Time tool, a digital time bar that measures the fixed sequence of sound and image, is presented to you in a large 3D format? But there is no film, recording, play, pause or replay here. There is no sound, no cropping, no editing, no beginning or even an end.
Now, for a moment, look at the installation from an artist’s viewpoint. The time bar despite being alienated from its digital functions, assumes the space you walk in, the air you breathe and emotions visible on your face. In essence then, you - the viewer - turn into the artist’s creation!
This is Sculptural Drama. Twenty-two artists from the University of Applied Arts, Vienna, have come up with interesting installations and artwork for Artists in Multi Functions at Lalit Kala Akademi which talk about Media Art – a new artform. It is a 21st century artform that lies between representation and reality.
Videos, graphics and digital media are used to show the work done by these artists. There is Martin Kusch’s 3D white coloured train, in an altered form. The white colour represents frozen time while the fabricated portion of the train gives the impression of it having been in an accident. On the other side, is an Indian truck representing the world of cyber space.
An interesting item that stands beside these 3D structures is a trench coat. Ideally, one should refer to it as the Trench Code because there are digital codes imprinted on it, which you can see through an iPad kept beside it.
Designed by Margarete Jehermann the codes suggest alternative realities, economics, societies and art in the form of hidden messages.
The Viennese artists also translated photographs into various media formats like webpage, 3D print, 3D model and video. But the 3D avatars have been turned into artistic graphics and printed onto huge canvasses.
Floating Signs by Ruth Schnell includes three vertically constructed light sticks, attached to the walls. Each light stick consists of a vertical bar of white flickering LEDs. For the viewer, the words and images seem to emerge from the rods, appearing as holograms.
Artists have also used mobile devices like iPhone and iPad to show their work. “Pick the iPad and you see 10 globes as you rotate the device 360 degrees. These 10 globes symbolizes ten decades of the 20th century. There are dates on top of it. Also, there appears a number which tells about the political murders in genocides and wars,” says Ruth.
Other items include paintings, shadow cut videos, small robots and photographs. The exhibition is open till February 19 at Lalit Kala Akademi.