Technology as Art&;#063;

Art has an uncanny way of evoking emotions in us. Can modern
technology do the same? Can science be sentimental? Can programmed
instructions inspire? On the other hand, are there emotions that are
quintessentially black and white? Will we be able to accept seriously
artistic expressions in ways other than paintbrushes on canvas, or
sculpting knives on marbles?

There was just such an attempt made in Sydney. An exhibition was held
recently in the NSW Art Gallery. The NSW Art Gallery was an unlikely
place to be associated with high tech, multimedia, gadgets and virtual
reality. Then again, contemporary art knows no bounds. The title of the
exhibition was SPACE ODYEESYES - sensation &; immersion. Some
highlights were described below.

One display had three projections emanating from the ceiling. Animated
images were projected into a white wide-based soup bowl that the
participants were to hold in their hands. The images were of different
types of slow moving objects intended to create a mesmerizing effect.
Some of the images were sourced from real life, whilst others were
computer generated. Examples of images included, drifting
constellations; swinging jellyfish; swaying sea kelps under water and
various patterns in motion occupied by psychedelic colors. They were
rather pretty and would perhaps look very smart in an ultra modern
home, nightclubs or trendy restaurants.

Another display required the participant to stand below a large
metallic bowl suspended from the ceiling. The metallic bowl was hollow
inside and had its top and bottom end removed. The participant would
then be required to lower the metallic bowl over their head. Inside the
metallic bowl, the interior wall was lined completely with display
screens, and featured a 360 degree view of a room. For example, turning
around would enable you to see the back of the room. There were
different events happening inside that room and the participant could
call out a number from 1 to 12 to get the computer to rotate to a new
angle. Interesting concept. However, as with all technology, they never
really quite worked as they were expected to. Occasionally, or more
often than not, a number could be called out repeatedly but nothing
would happen.

Then there was a 9 minute film being shown as part of the exhibition.
The film featured a pastel-colored spacesuit wearing Japanese girl
lying with eyes closed, inside a transparent capsule. The capsule was
just big enough to fit her, not unlike a clear-glass coffin except that
it was more streamlined. This loaded capsule was then placed in the
middle of a city street in New York and Tokyo, in front of one of the
Pyramids in Egypt and some other weird and wonderful places. However,
nothing could be weirder than this spacegirl in a capsule to the
passerbys around the drop zone. The capsule had attracted a bit of
attention and these reactions were also on film. This film was shown
simultaneously on the four walls with each wall showing a different
location. At the end of the film, the spacegirl disappeared from all
the capsules at once. The idea of this film escaped me, but the
spacegirl who looked like a complete fruitcake to me, would be somebody
who I would love to have over for dinner. It would be so much
fun.

The most eerie display of all took place in a very dark and narrow
corridor. As the participants slowly and gingerly walked into the
display corridor, eyes busily adjusting to this new darkness, blurry
images of people started to appear at close range. These were images of
people walking very slowly and hesitantly as well. Immediately, a sense
of "oh, they know what I am feeling" filled my guts. Then slowly and
shyly but surely, the image got closer and closer until they were the
life size image of a person, standing right in front of you. The
corridor was lined with these approaching people images. The fact that
the darkness almost hid the walls made the projections that much more
realistic. I had to touch the wall to make myself feel safer to the
knowledge these were just projected images. It was a little
spooky.

So, at the end of the exhibition, these technological artistic
expressions did evoke emotions but at the same time, the flicker and
the predictably of the movements gave away the self of the machine. The
interactivity provided by technology somehow took away our imagination.
It's just not the same, for me anyway.