by Adam Brown and Andrew H. Fagg (United States, 2006)
A network of sensors is linked to about one thousand devices that sing like living beings. Each one of these “lifeforms,” called a “bion,” communicates with the others and reacts to the presence of the spectators. The installation’s title refers to a primordial biological energy unit, identified as “orgone” by scientist Wilhelm Reich.
Artist Adam Brown works on the border between science, technology and art. He is interested, more specifically, by the relations between humans and synthetic life forms. Andrew H. Fagg is a doctor of computer science and works as an associate professor of bioengineering at the University of Oklahoma, United States.
by SymbioticA (Australia - United States, 2008–2009)
Robots move vertically along various columns, leaving traces that are actually the representation of the firings of neurons cultivated in a glass recipient located thousands of kilometers away. Parallel to this, sensors located around the installation capture the movements of the public, which, in turn, also move the robots about.
The collective SymbioticA is made up of artists Guy Ben-Ary and Philip Gamblen, composer Brett Murray, engineers Peter Gee, Nathan Scott and Stephen Bobic, as well as Dr. Steve Potter, a neuroscientist with the laboratory of neuroengineering at Georgia Tech, Atlanta, United States. Installed at the School of Human Anatomy and Biology of the University of Western Australia, the group blends art with science, encouraging critical thinking on the ethical and cultural questions involved in the manipulation of life.
Several devices communicate with each other by means of ultrasonic waves. They reach vibrations which act on the threshold of human hearing, but that can be seen on a large screen thanks to a data visualization system.
A virtual character balances itself on a tightrope, and reacts to the movements of the human observer. At the same time it tries to reproduce the posture of the participant, the character seeks balance on the virtual tightrope.
An orchestra made up of “auditory cells” that behave like an organism. Their interaction results in a kind of microphone-speaker feedback which, filtered through special software, gives rise to auditory evolutions that allude to different moments in the history of music, ranging from Mozart to acid house.
Martin Lübcke is a consultant in the area of computer programming, and holds a Ph.D. in theoretical physics. He is also a member of the band Måfå.
Olle Cornéer is a DJ, a producer in the area of electronic music, and a member of projects such as Dibaba (represented by the labels Gigolo Records and Plong!) and Dada Life (Breastfed, Pickadoll). He also writes articles on music for the specialized press.
