by Fabrízio Penteado, July 4th 2004
photos by Rubens Chiri
The theme of the roundtable held Sunday evening, A Cidade como Interface (The City as an Interface) was utilizing art and its technological aspects as a form of urban manifestation. The topic raised contemporary art to a level distant from mere poetic and urban intervention, prioritizing social issues.
In modern cities, especially in metropolitan areas like São Paulo, human beings often times become invisible in relation to others, to themselves and to their surroundings. With defined questions, the artists felt free to explore urban space and alter it artistically, but also to use it as a backdrop to a social event.
Mediated by Marcelo Tramontano, the lecture counted on Simone Michelin, Michael Rakowitz, Nelson Brissac Peixoto and Fabio Duarte.
Simone Michelin, a visual artist, gave details about her work, which can be seen on the outer part of the building, as an interface for those who look at it, turning the viewer into a participant. The work called ADA – Anarquitetura do Afeto, represents the difference with which we accept specific surveillances, and questions how much we can take.
Fabio Duarte gave an example using the main objective of the work 10 Dencies São Paulo/ 10 Lavoro Immateriale, by the Knowbotic Research group. On two screens, key-words are shown on a seemingly misty cloud, which when grouped according to the viewer offer a range of pieces of information that are understood differently by each person. Due to the interactivity with the software, the work is no longer static, but always mutable and non-linear. Apparent chaos can be understood as the dynamic world in which we live.
Michael Rakowitz, with clear social concerns, used the homeless as his main billboard. His work is a type of a thermal bag adapted to the exhaust fans of buildings in large cities that could be used as homes for the homeless. Once inflated, in addition to preserving heat and consequently the life of the occupant, the “air igloo” is an urban intervention that curious passersby discover is a home. From the artist’s point of view, more important than providing heat to the occupant, the work makes them once again visible, attracting the pedestrians’ attention.
Digital technology as interaction between the medium and the city was one of the issues raised by Nelson Brissac who mentioned the work of AVL, a Dutch group: small fiberglass homes for the homeless. In addition to the concept of providing homes to the homeless, the Dutch group suggested that the works be used and managed by their residents as a way to foster social inclusion. Candy bar stands, “jogo do bicho” (an illegal lottery) stands and small bars were some of the solutions found by the homeless to preserve and use the space, transforming it into a habitable, consequently dignified environment.
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- Simpósio Emoção Art.ficial 2.0 5/7/04 – mesa 7
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- Michael Rakowitz
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- Nelson Brissac Peixoto