Fire Painting, the process

I plan to construct a Fire Painting. An apparatus that draws a fire-curtain out of the plane reminiscent of a painting's canvas. Much of the apparatus is made of transparent material that lets as much light through as possible, possibly polycarbonate if not crystal. The physical appearance of the machine is visually transparent. Getting the pipe lines, casings and nozzles cast in polycarbonate-resin-thermoplastic poses a technical problem, but many experiments usually overcome the difficulty. This is a very complex machine, for sure, though a harder task is to keep the fire burning. A fuel pump lies at the heart of the machine, with pipe lines as veins to conduct fuel for ignition. Oil or gas: one can always use vodka as well. As the pump creates the pressure, numerous valves on the pipes open paths through nozzles, pushing the fuel to combustion. Fire as a material becomes an image. The image created lavishly by open flames.

The performance of the apparatus is in sync with a human effort. Gabriel Shalom, a videomusician from Berlin, who is amazingly skillful at beatboxing, agrees to take on the task of manipulating the apparatus. His beatboxing skill, the vocal imitation of percussion sounds using mouth, lips, tongue, throat and nasal passage, serves as a stimulus and initiates or precipitates a reaction or a series of reactions from machine's valves. Now each valve regulates a flame, the color and size of it, the rhytmics in movement and appearance, and subsequently the joining of a flame with another and with the rest of the flames. The man and apparatus work together in producing the fire-image.

1. step: People, we have a spark!

2. step: Testing the prototype

Photos: Loukas Bartatilas and Thalia Raftopoulou

3. step: Testing the prototype with four nozzles

4. step: Working on the data-glove for human-machine interaction

5. step: Manufacturing glass components

Photo: Glass works Rogaska

6. step: Electronics

A short video

Found a short video of mine capturing a CleanBot (part toothbrush - part mobile phone)...

Art of Engineering, exhibition in Berlin, 2.-14.2.2010

Scanner III and Pendulum participated in the exhibition Art of Engineering, held at Deutsches Technikmuseum during Transmediale in Berlin. With its interdisciplinary competition Art of Engineering the Ferchau Engineering GmbH presented innovative new works bridging the two worlds of art and technology.

http://artofengineering.ferchau.de/wettbewerb-2010/sonderausstellung/preistraeger/

Das Werk
„Scanner III“ ist ein kinetischer Apparat, der eine spannungsreiche Licht- und Geräuschkulisse erzeugt. In Bewegung gebracht, generiert die Maschine ein „entmaterialisiertes“ Bild: eine Art Lichtschleier, der vor dem Betrachter entsteht. Das körperlose Bild zeigt ein schwarzes Erdloch mit Wurzelwerk. Nach den Worten der Künstlerin steht es „für einen inhaltslosen Identifikationspunkt (einen Sprung ins Nichts), eine Verwerfungslinie, die feste Strukturen und identitätsstiftende Verbindungen auftrennt“. Die kraftvolle Vertikalbewegung der Maschine und das die Bewegung begleitende Geräusch aufreißenden Materials unterstützen diesen Eindruck.

Das Konzept
Die Maschine seziert das Sehen unter Einbeziehung technischer Hilfsmittel. Als Apparat zur Inszenierung von Illusionen hinterfragt „Scanner III“ vor allem den Begriff „Realität“.

Das Werk
Der kinetische Apparat „Das Pendel“ wird durch Drücken der Start-Taste in Bewegung gesetzt. Eine spezielle Software und Elektronik ermöglichen es der Maschine, ein „entmaterialisiertes“ Bild zu erzeugen: einen Schleier aus Licht, der vor dem Betrachter erscheint. Die Fotografie zeigt eine zum Pflügen verwendete Egge, die auf dem Rücken einer Person schreibt. Der bildproduzierende Mechanismus des Apparates ist jederzeit sichtbar und laut und wird daher als Produzent des Trugbildes entlarvt. Das wahrhafte Wesen des Kunstwerks ist die Desillusionierung.

Das Konzept
„Das Pendel“ verleiht der kinetischen Kunst neue und spannende Impulse. Entscheidend dafür sind die Einbeziehung Neuer Medien und das Einfließen von Erkenntnissen aus den Neurowissenschaften. Das Motiv der Egge verweist auf Kafkas Novelle „In der Strafkolonie“.

Speaking Void / Underground political cell, Connewitz Kreuz, Leipzig, 2009

In the underground cell, located amid urban space at Connewitz Kreuz in Leipzig, a philosopher would talk about the apparent post-political, post-ideological today. In Leipzig, a city caught in specific post-positions itself, this underground disposition searched for "impossible thought". With political analysis, in terms of ideological critique, the invisible space would show potential of turning into an "underground political cell" for a moment. On Tuesday, 24th February, it thus planned to attain such existence with the discussion from Sami Khatib and Gene Ray for the audience of 10. Two days prior to the scheduled event, the cell caved in.

According to Mick O'Kelly (Ireland): Your siting of this discourse via a hole in the ground is a curious and provocative conext to have a debate. Where political and cultural collapse is visible all around us going underground creates a political interstice. These critical reflections are particularly relevant in the current political and economic collapse. To think »impractically« perhaps brings an urgency in creating a void to think differently about future options. The philosophical and political strategies employed are challenging in that in this in-between this liminal zone is the potential for active and passive nihilism. Philosophically the hole/void holds the possibility of promise of a future to be filled with thought. The hole might perform as a controlled environment or release indeterminacy. The thought might pursue a manifesto or schizoanalysis.

I am currently continuing post-graduate studies in MFA Public Art and New Artistic Strategies at the Bauhaus University in Weimar, Germany. The winter semester focused on exploring the relationship between art, architecture and urban space with advisement of the Guest Professor Mick O’Kelly. The location of the semester's project was Leipzig, a city northeast of Weimar. Leipzig is tied up in particular post-socialist, post-industrial position.