Context
1. Finding inspiration: exploring photography through movement (Workshop in UAL)
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This workshop focused on the exploration of movement within the realm of photography, drawing inspiration from the works of both renowned and lesser-known photographers. It aimed to foster a multisensory engagement with images, encouraging participants to translate visual stimuli into bodily movements as a form of artistic expression. Participants engaged in sensory exercises to connect their internal experiences with visual imagery. This process was introspective, requiring a deep focus on the silence of one's private space to facilitate the translation of an image into personal gestures and movements. The key idea revolved around the synthesis of visual inspiration and physical expression.
The workshop underscored the transformative power of audience interaction in art. As we navigated the delicate nuances of photographers' depictions of movement, I was compelled to consider how viewers' physical engagements with an installation can alter and complete the narrative I set forth. The subtleties of a gesture, a glance, or a pause could be potent narratives in themselves when incorporated into my installations. This resonated with my goal to create art that is not merely to be viewed but to be experienced and altered through interaction.
My participation in this workshop was not just an exercise in creative observation but a critical intervention in my practice. The most profound takeaway was the session’s invitation to critical reflection on the interplay between art, the artist, and the audience. How does one's personal interpretation of movement inform the creation of interactive spaces? How do these spaces, in turn, shape the experiences and movements of the audience? This recursive dialogue between creator and spectator is fundamental in the evolution of interactive art. This workshop catalyzed a shift in my perception of interactive installations, urging me to prioritize the physical dialogue between the artwork and its audience. The act of engaging viewers through the kinetic language of movement has now become a central theme in my practice.
In essence, the session was a profound reminder that in interactive art, the viewer's response completes the creative cycle, turning passive observation into a powerful act of co-creation.
2. CREATIVE ENGAGEMENTS WITH SOCIETY AND POLITICS (tour) with APT artist (Fine Art Research Festival 2023)
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The event, led by Charlotte Warne Thomas, showcased how art can be a vital medium for dialogues on society and politics. This aspect of the event was particularly inspiring, as it aligns with the core themes of my project. Seeing how different artists addressed broad societal issues through their work offered me fresh perspectives on how to articulate and frame the themes of power and control in my own project. It emphasized the importance of art as a medium for social commentary and its ability to provide a space for critical reflection and discourse.
The discussions and interactions with the artists and Charlotte Warne Thomas during the tour encouraged me to delve deeper into how art can challenge and dissect the dynamics of power and control within society. It made me reflect on how individual actions and voices can collectively influence or confront these dynamics. This experience has not only enriched my understanding of the power of art in societal discourse but has also invigorated my commitment to using my project as a tool for examining and questioning the established norms and power structures in society.
This engagement with the event has catalyzed a deeper level of critical thinking in my work. It has inspired me to explore more innovative ways to represent the tensions and interplays between individuality and collectivism, and to highlight the significance of personal perspectives in shaping societal narratives. The insights gained from this event have become a crucial part of my artistic journey, propelling me to create work that not only reflects but actively participates in societal conversations about power, control, and individual versus collective identity.
3. Babel (Art Installation in Tate Modern)
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"Babel" by Cildo Meireles is a powerful and thought-provoking installation that explores themes of communication and its discontents through the medium of radio, an object that has historically been significant for broadcasting voices and ideas across distances. The concept of the piece ties back to the biblical story of the Tower of Babel, where a once-unified humanity began speaking in different tongues, leading to a breakdown in communication and the scattering of peoples across the world.
Meireles' "Babel" is a modern-day tower made up of radios from different eras, each tuned to a different station and set to a low volume. When viewed and experienced in person, the tower emits a gentle hum of white noise composed of overlapping broadcasts, music, static, and speech. This cacophony of sounds represents the diversity of voices and the multitude of messages that bombard us daily, often leading to an overload of information that is hard to process or understand.
Meireles' "Babel" is not just a visual spectacle; it's an immersive experience that invites viewers to consider the ironies of modern communication: that with all the tools at our disposal meant to bring us together, we are often left feeling more isolated and misunderstood than ever before. It is a tower that, instead of piercing the heavens, delves into the essence of human communication, with all its potential and its profound limitations.
"Babel" is my inspiration about the spread of information and disinformation, especially in the context of the power of the media to shape public opinion. Composed of radios from different periods, the tower symbolizes the evolution of communication technology and its role in the collective consciousness, directly influencing my exploration of how these mediums have been used to unite or divide societies throughout history.
I see radio not only as a broadcasting tool, but also as a tool of influence, able to sway the masses with information and disinformation. The Tower of Babel is a metaphor for the dissonance of the modern information realm, where truth is often obscured by a deluge of conflicting information.
The concept of the "Tower of Babel" prompted me to engage in critical reflection, forcing me to consider the implications of information saturation in our current era. It challenged me to think about the responsibility that comes with creating and distributing content, the power of the medium as information, and the potential consequences when that power is misused. It reminds me that as an artist, I am not only a creator, but also a communicator of influence through the medium of my choice.
Incorporating the lessons of Babel, my project aims to dissect the mechanisms by which information, intentionally or unintentionally, manipulates and creates consent. This installation inspired me to create a space that echoes the tower's many voices, in which visitors can confront the overwhelming nature of our media-saturated environment and reflect on their own sensitivity to the information they receive.
The radios in the Tower of Babel, each tuned to a different frequency, serve as a historical record of the struggle for narrative control - a struggle that has only intensified in the digital age. This historical perspective is crucial to my project because it is based on the reality that although the medium of influence has changed, the underlying challenge of discerning truth from falsehood remains as relevant as ever. This work demonstrates the need for critical media literacy and the importance of questioning the sources and intentions behind the information we consume every day.
1. Finding inspiration: exploring photography through movement (Workshop in UAL)
This workshop focused on the exploration of movement within the realm of photography, drawing inspiration from the works of both renowned and lesser-known photographers. It aimed to foster a multisensory engagement with images, encouraging participants to translate visual stimuli into bodily movements as a form of artistic expression. Participants engaged in sensory exercises to connect their internal experiences with visual imagery. This process was introspective, requiring a deep focus on the silence of one's private space to facilitate the translation of an image into personal gestures and movements. The key idea revolved around the synthesis of visual inspiration and physical expression.
The workshop underscored the transformative power of audience interaction in art. As we navigated the delicate nuances of photographers' depictions of movement, I was compelled to consider how viewers' physical engagements with an installation can alter and complete the narrative I set forth. The subtleties of a gesture, a glance, or a pause could be potent narratives in themselves when incorporated into my installations. This resonated with my goal to create art that is not merely to be viewed but to be experienced and altered through interaction.
My participation in this workshop was not just an exercise in creative observation but a critical intervention in my practice. The most profound takeaway was the session’s invitation to critical reflection on the interplay between art, the artist, and the audience. How does one's personal interpretation of movement inform the creation of interactive spaces? How do these spaces, in turn, shape the experiences and movements of the audience? This recursive dialogue between creator and spectator is fundamental in the evolution of interactive art. This workshop catalyzed a shift in my perception of interactive installations, urging me to prioritize the physical dialogue between the artwork and its audience. The act of engaging viewers through the kinetic language of movement has now become a central theme in my practice.
In essence, the session was a profound reminder that in interactive art, the viewer's response completes the creative cycle, turning passive observation into a powerful act of co-creation.
2. CREATIVE ENGAGEMENTS WITH SOCIETY AND POLITICS (tour) with APT artist (Fine Art Research Festival 2023)
The event, led by Charlotte Warne Thomas, showcased how art can be a vital medium for dialogues on society and politics. This aspect of the event was particularly inspiring, as it aligns with the core themes of my project. Seeing how different artists addressed broad societal issues through their work offered me fresh perspectives on how to articulate and frame the themes of power and control in my own project. It emphasized the importance of art as a medium for social commentary and its ability to provide a space for critical reflection and discourse.
The discussions and interactions with the artists and Charlotte Warne Thomas during the tour encouraged me to delve deeper into how art can challenge and dissect the dynamics of power and control within society. It made me reflect on how individual actions and voices can collectively influence or confront these dynamics. This experience has not only enriched my understanding of the power of art in societal discourse but has also invigorated my commitment to using my project as a tool for examining and questioning the established norms and power structures in society.
This engagement with the event has catalyzed a deeper level of critical thinking in my work. It has inspired me to explore more innovative ways to represent the tensions and interplays between individuality and collectivism, and to highlight the significance of personal perspectives in shaping societal narratives. The insights gained from this event have become a crucial part of my artistic journey, propelling me to create work that not only reflects but actively participates in societal conversations about power, control, and individual versus collective identity.
3. Babel (Art Installation in Tate Modern)
Meireles' "Babel" is a modern-day tower made up of radios from different eras, each tuned to a different station and set to a low volume. When viewed and experienced in person, the tower emits a gentle hum of white noise composed of overlapping broadcasts, music, static, and speech. This cacophony of sounds represents the diversity of voices and the multitude of messages that bombard us daily, often leading to an overload of information that is hard to process or understand.
Meireles' "Babel" is not just a visual spectacle; it's an immersive experience that invites viewers to consider the ironies of modern communication: that with all the tools at our disposal meant to bring us together, we are often left feeling more isolated and misunderstood than ever before. It is a tower that, instead of piercing the heavens, delves into the essence of human communication, with all its potential and its profound limitations.
"Babel" is my inspiration about the spread of information and disinformation, especially in the context of the power of the media to shape public opinion. Composed of radios from different periods, the tower symbolizes the evolution of communication technology and its role in the collective consciousness, directly influencing my exploration of how these mediums have been used to unite or divide societies throughout history.
I see radio not only as a broadcasting tool, but also as a tool of influence, able to sway the masses with information and disinformation. The Tower of Babel is a metaphor for the dissonance of the modern information realm, where truth is often obscured by a deluge of conflicting information.
The concept of the "Tower of Babel" prompted me to engage in critical reflection, forcing me to consider the implications of information saturation in our current era. It challenged me to think about the responsibility that comes with creating and distributing content, the power of the medium as information, and the potential consequences when that power is misused. It reminds me that as an artist, I am not only a creator, but also a communicator of influence through the medium of my choice.
Incorporating the lessons of Babel, my project aims to dissect the mechanisms by which information, intentionally or unintentionally, manipulates and creates consent. This installation inspired me to create a space that echoes the tower's many voices, in which visitors can confront the overwhelming nature of our media-saturated environment and reflect on their own sensitivity to the information they receive.
The radios in the Tower of Babel, each tuned to a different frequency, serve as a historical record of the struggle for narrative control - a struggle that has only intensified in the digital age. This historical perspective is crucial to my project because it is based on the reality that although the medium of influence has changed, the underlying challenge of discerning truth from falsehood remains as relevant as ever. This work demonstrates the need for critical media literacy and the importance of questioning the sources and intentions behind the information we consume every day.