Week Twelve - But is it Art?

Source: http://bellanta.wordpress.com/

Media. But is it art? Media and art have always been interlocking subjects. It could even be pushed as far to say that art is media. It is a form that communicates a message to an audience. But they are not wholly one and the same.


A couple of months ago I went to the White Rabbit Gallery to see the new exhibition 'Down the Rabbit Hole'. Two pieces in particular captured my attention. They both use the media technology of light in an aesthetic way, but they also both explored the cultural workings of modern society. The first piece, titled Solar was made by Taiwanese artists Chang Kenghau, Chang Genghwa, Llunc Lin and Ken Chen, used a variety of light sources (lamps, lightbulbs, computers) to "convey a sense of optimism... (to demonstrate that) humanity can take control of technology and turn it to good". I found the circular form of the artwork to be representative of the Earth, with the sequences of lights turning on and off in different patterns reflecting generative human activity, the classic image of a city being brought to life at night by the human use of electricity.

Solar description.
Image: Alexandra Potter

This video shows Solar in action:






The second piece, Scripting, from the same artists, uses light rods to "express the wonder that everything in the universe has its own special rhythm". The artists use the rods to depict different concepts in life, from the movement of water to the formation of calligraphy. The most important element of this work, as in the first one, is the dependency of this art on media and technology. Without the inout of media, these artworks would not be created, nor their message communicated.

Scripting description.
Image: Alexandra Potter

This video shows Scripting in action:

The Tida Dome exhibition embodies the future of art exhibits. Galleries and exhibitions are now moving into the virtual world and we no longer have to attend a physical gallery space to look at art. This shows the ever growing relationship art has with media. The way we appreciate art will change as it becomes more interactive in the online space. Laika's Derive emphasis this interactivity as this site shows that art is not just made by a professional in a studio, but anybody can participate in, and create, art. In the readings, Andrew provided a link to Mortal Engine, a dance production that I have seen on two occasions as it toured through Sydney. I trained as a dancer for 12 years and have always found dance to be one of the most powerful forms of artistic communication. Mortal Engine is quite a contemporary dance production as it not only incorporates media into the work, it uses media as a foundation upon which the dance is built. The show is also quite inclusive of the audience as the work projects light beams into the audience; at one point the audience becomes trapped in a lattice network of green light beams. Art is a communal experience that engage anyone and it is an important tool that brings people, aesthetics and ideologies together. As time progresses, the influence of media on art will open a wide variety of new possibilities, endeavours and processes for the art world.








References




Chunky Moves dance production, 'Mortal Engine', <http://chunkymove.com.au/Our-Works/Current-Productions/Mortal-Engine.aspx> 

Mori, Mariko (2011) Tida Dome, Adobe Museum of Digital Media, <http://www.adobemuseum.com/#/exhibit/tidaDome> (explore site)

Waterson, Sarah (2011) Laika’s Dérive <http://laikasderive.sarahwaterson.net/>

White Rabbit Gallery