ARS Electronica 2006 Linz

Bugger, Linz its great, the festival its inspirational.
Been there for two days and now my only regret is that I didn't go before.

So, let me share with ya a bit.
Lets do the ROBOTIC CHAIR first:

Now, you saw that. What u didn't see that it also breaks apart by himself. Goes, kabum and it faints in pieces. Do you remember the commercial clips in the '60 with the modern kitchen. Well, it remind me of that. Beautiful perfect smilling Stepford wife having a breakdown from her perfect life, trashing the kitchen to pieces and going to sleep. Next morning everything in place mounted together. Give no change to hysteria!!!

The project was developed by:
D'Andrea Group Interactive & Dynamic Art
for more info please visit: http://www.mae.cornell.edu/raff/InteractiveDynamicArt/InteractiveDynamicArt.htm
(there is also a phantom table... which probably was the cause of the hysteria based on paranoia!?!)


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Second should be... hmmm... Distorded house:

An optical illusion made by a strobe light synchronized with the rotation of the house. You can control the optical distortion by a touch pad which gives you the freedom of choosing the distortion faze. Normally I would have to spin (or smoke) till things start distorting but I am also happy with this option.

the credits goes to:
Toshio Iwai
NHK Science & Technical Research Laboratories
http://www.aec.at/en/center/project.asp?iProjectID=13612


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Next, my dear favorite, Thermoesthesia:

Is an interactive art installation which should challenge your sense to feel different thermo changes. By direct contact with the installation. The feeling its actually provoke by colour and animation and, if you know what the installation stands for, it really does.
What actually fascinated me was the simple idea of being able to create shapes, animation at the simple touch of your finger tips. Always been a sucker for supernatural abilities and the installation made me feel as mother nature and iceman. What more would u ever want?

All my respects for making me feel powerfull and cold to:
Thermoesthesia
Toshiie Kitazawa (JP)
Kumiko Kushiyama (JP)
Shinji Sasada (JP)
Mototsugu Tamura (JP)

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Finally the most... suprizing one:
The Random Screen

Ok, I am sometimes so superficial. First time when I saw this work, from front I thought: "Great another lights box with tiny esthetical chaotic pixelated look-a-like lights. What else is new?"
Then my friend had the impulse to push me to see it from the back. I felt silly (like most of the time, so what else is new there?).

The light is actually created by tea candle light and the randomness is made by the specially cutted beer / pepsi cans placed on top of the candles. The heat of the candle controls the movement. As hot it is as faster it moves. But we knew that already...

When it comes to simplicity (the theme for this year ARS Electronica) this one gets my vote!

My vote goes to:
Aram Bartholl
www.datenform.de

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thanks to this guy >>> abstractidea <<< for the initiative
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