I
recall coming to the spacious room at the Broad Art Center several weeks ago
for Bill Fontana’s presentation Acoustical Visions. I enjoyed my time then, and
I looked forward to yet another interesting presentation regarding the
intersection of art and technology.
 |
| I Wish |
Prof.
Vesna was there to introduce the presenters Ina Conradi and Mark Chavez. The
two have been working on various kinds of art and media projects over the last
twenty years, from award-winning 3D short films to interactive digital art for
a 15 x 2 meter, 8k-resolution screen that graces a hallway of the North Spine
Plaza at the prestigious Nanyang Technology University in Singapore (“Media Art
Nexus (MAN) NTU”). The latter is an ongoing project called Media Art Nexus, whose goal is
to provide an international platform where science, technology, and art
intersects to open new possibilities in artistic expression. The art portrayed
on this gigantic and magnificent screen are eclectic—digital art, algorithmic
art, generative art, interactive art, virtual art, music/sound visualization,
etc. Clearly, this effort was made possible by a collaboration between art and technology,
transforming art into an interdisciplinary medium of expression that educates, captivates,
and inspires us every day (Whitaker). I especially liked Chavez’s “I Wish”
feature, in which the wall would pull Twitter tweets that had “I wish”
mentioned in them. It was an interesting glimpse into the big-picture desires
of humankind, whether it’s deep or comical as in “I wish I could download food
on the Internet.”
 |
| Elysian Fields |
As
my eyes were feasting on the various visuals featured on this media wall, I was
also intrigued about Ina Conradi’s short films. Her short film “Elysian Fields,”
which won an Oscar for Best Short Film, was inspiring for its incredible
depiction of life and death through aerial combat and a pilot trying to make
sense of the chaos surrounding him. It accomplished this in an immersive studio
setting, where the audience members were surrounded by long curved screens on
which the movie was projected. What touched me was the film’s gripping
backstory (“About the Film”). Her father fought in World War II, and she made
this to pay homage to his legacy and his valiant efforts in the battlefield.
I
believe that great art not only conveys meaning but also stirs emotions to its
viewers. Conradi’s latest film “Chrysalis” was just that, whose story is
about a butterfly struggling to evolve and featuring a Zen-like atmosphere with
strong Buddhist overtones. I couldn’t imagine hand-drawing some of the
animations, as some appeared to be complex fractals, while others are
incredible sequences of abstract flourishes and dynamic ambiance. The riveting,
complex imagery made me feel as if I was looking into the visual manifestation
of the very recesses of a turbulent mind. I could see myself in the monk’s
shoes, appearing calm and collected on the outside but fighting an inner war
for survival on the inside, to overcome the ego. In other words, I was blown
away; I do hope people get to come to this event one day to appreciate how art
is interconnected to various disciplines.
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| Selfie |
Text Sources:
“About
the Film.” Elysian Fields, www.elysianfieldsfilm.com/#about.
“Media
Art Nexus (MAN) NTU.” Media Art Nexus,
mediaartnexus.com/media-art-nexus-man-ntu/.
Whitaker,
Rodney. “The Relationship Between Art and Technology.” People.clarkson.edu,
people.clarkson.edu/~whitakrj/The_Relationship_Between_art_and_technology.html.
Image Sources:
Kim,
John. “Elysian Fields.” 8 Jun 2018. JPEG file.
Kim,
John. “I Wish.” 8 Jun 2018. JPEG file.
Kim,
John. “Selfie.” 8 Jun 2018. JPEG file.
