It's 'science fair meets art gallery,' but without the baking soda volcanoes, at the ScienceArtFest this week, as scientists, designers, artists and architects from around the world present their techno-artistic conceptions through a combination of videos and live installations.
The Red and White sections of the Winzavod art territory allow everyone to view and interact with the world of art synthesized with technology. Next to the cafe below the White section, a room filled with interactive toys, such as red balls spinning on rods or swings, and interactive computers with science games allow adults and children alike to directly play and learn science facts and trivia. During the afternoons of the festival, lectures and panels in the Red section provide visitors with an opportunity to communicate directly with project designers and exhibition coordinators who will attempt to increase understanding of their modern-day developments.
One of the participants, Professor Nicholas Reeves of the School of Design at the University of Quebec in Montreal, has the project "Geometric Butterflies," on display in the White section of the Winzavod.
Reeves' project consists of three giant, floating cubes constructed out of ultralight carbon fiber that are controlled by minicomputers weighing a mere 40 grams. Each cube is filled with helium and moves spontaneously about the allotted space. The onboard computers react to their surroundings, directing the cubes away from light and detecting the presence of other cubes. "They are like butterflies at night," remarked Reeves. "The move to and away from light -- thus the name of the project.
"It took 1 1/2 years to get the flying cubes to stand still," Reeves explained. "They look so peaceful and calm from the outside, but inside the computers are constantly whirring -- constantly refiguring themselves to know their positions. It is like when you are asleep -- outside you do not move, but inside your mind remains in constant activity."
In the true spirit of an artist, Reeves is not attempting to provide any particular practical application with the project, though one possibility, he says, is that it can be used as a floating screen for film projections. Instead, he is attempting to create a purely artistic project, inspired by the fantasy and beauty of floating structures. "Like the cathedral in Istanbul, [which] appears to be floating above its foundations, like Gothic architecture strives to feel light by reaching up towards the sky, like Venice is a city floating over its own sewage and water systems, like mirages in the desert create floating realities -- this is what I want to achieve in my work. Why did I use cubes? Because cubes are completely inefficient for flying. That is the beauty of it," he said.
Other projects in the White Hall are equally compelling. Paul Granjon's piece "Robotarium" is an installation of three robots imitating animals in a zoo. Two "Sexed Robots" are equipped with nylon genital organs and roam the floor until they enter into "heat mode," at which point they join together and "mate." The third bot, "Smart Bot," is stuck on the top of a table, constantly moaning and swearing at its inability to escape the space.
Videos in English with Russian subtitles provide more detailed explanations of the works and access to those projects that were unable to fit into the gallery space. Other interactive pieces are located in isolated rooms in the center of the hall, such as Australian artist Stelarc's, "Prosthetic Head." In this work, a 5-meter-high digital head interacts with the visitor through the interface of a keyboard, answering questions and conversing with the real world.
"The head has some interesting responses," noted Stelarc with a grin, "especially when you ask personal questions. In the future, the project will be more interesting, because the head will be able to see you and recognize who you are and remember what you last conversed about. It will be able to learn in real time."
The ScienceArtFest runs till March 29 in the Red and White sections of the Winzavod Contemporary Art Center located at 1/6 Syromyatnichecky Pereulok. Metro Kurskaya, Chkalovskaya. The exhibition space is open daily from noon to 8 p.m. For more information regarding specific times and lecture topics, please refer to the -Winzavod site a href="www.winzavod.ru/scienceartfest<">www.winzavod.ru/scienceartfest<, or call (495) 917 46-46.
The Red and White sections of the Winzavod art territory allow everyone to view and interact with the world of art synthesized with technology. Next to the cafe below the White section, a room filled with interactive toys, such as red balls spinning on rods or swings, and interactive computers with science games allow adults and children alike to directly play and learn science facts and trivia. During the afternoons of the festival, lectures and panels in the Red section provide visitors with an opportunity to communicate directly with project designers and exhibition coordinators who will attempt to increase understanding of their modern-day developments.
One of the participants, Professor Nicholas Reeves of the School of Design at the University of Quebec in Montreal, has the project "Geometric Butterflies," on display in the White section of the Winzavod.
Reeves' project consists of three giant, floating cubes constructed out of ultralight carbon fiber that are controlled by minicomputers weighing a mere 40 grams. Each cube is filled with helium and moves spontaneously about the allotted space. The onboard computers react to their surroundings, directing the cubes away from light and detecting the presence of other cubes. "They are like butterflies at night," remarked Reeves. "The move to and away from light -- thus the name of the project.
"It took 1 1/2 years to get the flying cubes to stand still," Reeves explained. "They look so peaceful and calm from the outside, but inside the computers are constantly whirring -- constantly refiguring themselves to know their positions. It is like when you are asleep -- outside you do not move, but inside your mind remains in constant activity."
In the true spirit of an artist, Reeves is not attempting to provide any particular practical application with the project, though one possibility, he says, is that it can be used as a floating screen for film projections. Instead, he is attempting to create a purely artistic project, inspired by the fantasy and beauty of floating structures. "Like the cathedral in Istanbul, [which] appears to be floating above its foundations, like Gothic architecture strives to feel light by reaching up towards the sky, like Venice is a city floating over its own sewage and water systems, like mirages in the desert create floating realities -- this is what I want to achieve in my work. Why did I use cubes? Because cubes are completely inefficient for flying. That is the beauty of it," he said.
Other projects in the White Hall are equally compelling. Paul Granjon's piece "Robotarium" is an installation of three robots imitating animals in a zoo. Two "Sexed Robots" are equipped with nylon genital organs and roam the floor until they enter into "heat mode," at which point they join together and "mate." The third bot, "Smart Bot," is stuck on the top of a table, constantly moaning and swearing at its inability to escape the space.
Videos in English with Russian subtitles provide more detailed explanations of the works and access to those projects that were unable to fit into the gallery space. Other interactive pieces are located in isolated rooms in the center of the hall, such as Australian artist Stelarc's, "Prosthetic Head." In this work, a 5-meter-high digital head interacts with the visitor through the interface of a keyboard, answering questions and conversing with the real world.
"The head has some interesting responses," noted Stelarc with a grin, "especially when you ask personal questions. In the future, the project will be more interesting, because the head will be able to see you and recognize who you are and remember what you last conversed about. It will be able to learn in real time."
The ScienceArtFest runs till March 29 in the Red and White sections of the Winzavod Contemporary Art Center located at 1/6 Syromyatnichecky Pereulok. Metro Kurskaya, Chkalovskaya. The exhibition space is open daily from noon to 8 p.m. For more information regarding specific times and lecture topics, please refer to the -Winzavod site a href="www.winzavod.ru/scienceartfest<">www.winzavod.ru/scienceartfest<, or call (495) 917 46-46.
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