Monday, 13 March 2006 | Elif Sungur
Here There Be Monsters
The next radical transformation of the outdoor exhibit space will involve flooding the entire space with water and creating a unique and subtly responsive environment. Spanned by a hyperboloid- shaped bamboo foot bridge that resembles a fraying warped tube and lined with artificially intelligent water systems, the design results from a collaborative effort by infranatural, Bruce Danziger of Arup and Sci-Arc and architects Moritz Freund and Shu-Chi Hsu.
The installation will explore the challenges of synchronizing the aesthetics and intrinsic characteristics of natural materials in the built environment with the latest computer aided design tools and embedded control system technologies. Upon entry visitors will cross the hand woven bamboo bridge around which the water will erupt with anticipation and reaction to their presence and intentions.
The merging of technology and nature into a cohesive experience will challenge and engage viewers through a sophisticated system of sensors to encourage a physical dialog with the responsive space. The installation will investigate our fear of nature and the unknown, our attraction to control, and our definition of life. The system invites contemplation of these issues while working on many scales simultaneously. Experience of the space will vary depending on the visitor: children playing with energetic motions will create turbulent water spouts that react to their movements, calmer visitors may discover a more cerebral response within the patterns formed by mist emanating from intersecting wave patterns created by walking over the bridge.
The exhibition will take place until June 30th, 2006.
For further information, please visit http://www.emanate.org/
infranatural has designed all the systems to be self-learning and modifying so the installation will grow within its computational environment while the live bamboo woven into the bridge continues to grow too. The entire environment will evolve over the course of its exhibition time inviting users back regularly to see what has thrived and what has shriveled, it will be survival of the fittest based not just on the natural elements of rain and sun but also of attention and interest.
Artists
When they are not engaged in their own practices or assisting others with installations, M&A's Jenna Didier and Oliver Hess have a design collaborative called infranatural. The next installation is the result of a confluence of events that created the perfect opportunity to experiment with a system they have developed for creating truly interactive water effects. The installation design has grown naturally from their desire to experiment with their patent-pending hardware and software systems integrated with natural and eco-effective materials. The overall goal is to continue pushing the boundaries of what culture values in a designed environment by engaging the public in an original way to participate in their surroundings and to grow a dialog.
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