Final Exam Essay
Throughout this semester, I have been working with writing C code and programming micro controllers to activate kinetic sculpture. Technology always seems to play a part in my sculpture and with that knowledge I feel the most important parts of this class to me are what I was directly working with. The Hacker Manifesto by Mackinze Wark and really the whole section on hacking and hacktivism really hit home with me. I think the theories behind free information and free access are important ones. With my work I am taking these pieces of computer parts or boards and modifying or hacking them to work in a new way to activate a new conversation of thought. Alexander Galloway talks about computer code being in the same realm as natural languages. (Galloway, “Protocol”, 165)This has started a new wave of thinking for me and I have been working now with linguistics in my work and using text to help convey my concept. Here is an example image of a piece of work that is “hacked” both through its hardware and code writing.
This is the same thing biotech art is doing. By taking an existing process of a lab they modify it and create a new way to look at it and display it which changes the conversation. The social structures which are in place begin to break down with work like TC&A’s ¼ scale ear (http://www.tca.uwa.edu.au/). They challenge the way our society thinks about the body and modifications to the body. This type of work both highly technical and socially questionable brings a slew of ideas to the conversation and allows for the audience to discuss and converse on what they see. Without pushing their bias they have created a conversation between people. This is something I have always tried to do in my own work and by researching them and STELARC (www.stelarc.va.com.au) I have learned much about their work and would like to know more about the process which I why I have and will continue to research them. I feel like this course has been a great stepping stone for me and allowed me to research people I would have never been introduced to.
December 12, 2008 at 3:35 pm
That piece has some great connotations, Kenny. The settup appears to me at once completely domestic yet profoundly peculiar. Electrical outlets stuffed with cords hanging out of them certainly has an “ahhh, home…” resonance with me. I don’t know what that machine is, but just from the image I thought, seismograph? lie detector? Either way, with the “scientific” electronics juxtaposed in front of an Eastern rug, the piece immediately evoked those central dichotomies in our class–new v. old, Western v. Eastern–and it made me ponder if I myself simply substitute prayer with a shrine of technology.
If you are interested in incorporating text and language into your work, I bet Susan’s conceptual art class next semester would be excellent… Also, if you haven’t done so already, wiki up “Oulipo.” I think those guys might be right up your alley.
December 12, 2008 at 8:49 pm
Kenny, this piece is really great, is it in the BFA show? Or is there a place I can see it in person? I am very interested in seeing it in real life…as opposed to just a picture. It seems to be something that is more of an experience than just an image type of deal. Kind of like it has more of a presence.
December 12, 2008 at 9:17 pm
You might wanna check out Net Neutriality. It’s a topic of debate going on currently. Basically, the ISPs (internet service providers) — like for BR, it’s Cox, wants to start charging people to access certain website. Just like T.V. (How you have to pay extra to get HBO or Cinemax or whatever). They say in 2012, they are going to impliment this “charging for certain websites” — like myspace, facebook, google even!
The bill was rejected by congress and Obama is stated as saying information is free and the Internet should remain free. ANYWAY – your comment at the beginning of your essay about hacking and what not made me think of this…