Pandora´s Box
Participating artist´s:

Christian Bock
Joe Davis
Katie Egan
Vera Frenkel
Francis LeBouthillier
Thomas Liljenberg
Amanda Ramos
Victoria Scott
Kent Tankred
Dinka Pignon


Curated by Graham Smith
As the western world becomes more and more reliant on technological innovation it also seems to be creating a world that is both more connected and more alienating. Genetic engineering, nanotechnology and virtual reality are all examples of systems that seem to be offering society huge benifits yet also cuts people off from direct experience and perceptions.

Canadian media guru Marshall McLuhan talked about new media and artists as being intrinsically linked. He said "The media are not toys; they should not be in the hands of Mother Goose and Peter Pan executives. They can be entrusted only to new artists, because they are art forms". PANDORA´S BOX takes this concept to its natural conclusion by allowing artists the opportunity to comment on the changes technology is manifesting on society through a new technological medium.

PANDORA´S BOX is an interactive video exhibition that explores the potential of new media and its impact on society by juxtaposing simple miniature environments created by 9 artists from 3 counties with a remotely controlled robotic viewing system. It utilizes a new artistic medium called a Cybercity which incorporates two miniature art galleries which houses model size installations located in Fylkingen, Stockholm, Sweden and in InterAccess, Toronto, Canada. The two pieces is linked via a videoconferencing system which allows the viewers in both cities to interact with the installations and control the robots, in Sweden or Canada, make them look left or right move forwards or backwards to explore any part of the gallery at will. In essence the viewers will be projecting their presence into the "virtual" art installation 6,000 kilometers away.






























































































































 
Joe Davis / Katie Egan

Light emitted from a direct current lamp was directed at a laminar coating of water-soluble adhesive (honey) and highly reflective material (gold leaf particles) applied to the human body. Autonomic audio frequency physiological activity including respiration, heartbeat, voice, and physical movement modulated light reflected from the body. These optoacoustic signals were then transduced with an photoelectic detector element (mounted on the robot in this case) into inputs for standard audio equipment (amplifiers/speakers). An installation of newsprint clippings; the "box of light" and audiotape playback superceded the original physiological performance. An audio tape of approximately 40 Hz Tibetan chanting was played to accompany each of the aformentioned performences.
Dinka Pignon

An infinite maze of mirrors, reflecting a looped (8 min.) Pandora "video in a box", and the robot´s own image. The naked Pandora hesitates at the entrance of her chamber, the moon shines and jumps around the sky and turns into a rotating levitating head, then into a stone which bangs against the walls, fires burn and trees take flight, white becomes black and black white, while the soundtrack moves the electrons, ambiently.
Amanda Ramos

The artists collaborated with Amanda Ramos, for conceptual design, and exhibition assistance, She creates immersive environments, experimenting with a variety of formats that integrate architecture and media. Inside her stylized constructions, individuals are publicly invited to explore new methods of social interaction. She designs the viewing box, which viewers step into to watch and move the robot through the exhibition in either city, which have to be minature in scale, to compensate for the wee bot.
Kent Tankred

A Dr. Frankenstein´s laboratory / metal metropolis which comes alive when the robot enters the environment, with pumps that pump, gears that grind, spinning things that begin to spin ...
Thomas Liljenberg

A psychogeographical guide to Stockholm consisting of a map on Stockholm, with texts and photographs of the addresses where important people lived and now haunt´s ­ Philip K. Dick, Arthur Rimbaud, Jimi Hendrix, Herman Göring ...



Read the complete guide at:
http://www.survival-art.org/artists/tliljenberg/sida2.htm
Christian Bock

A Modern Art museum - a white box illuminated by black light. On facing walls, there are displayed a series of black on black paintings by Ad Reinhart, with a large portrait of the artist and a panel of his philosophical remarks on art. Also on display are a number of signs typical of such cultural establishments - "Please do not touch the artwork, No photographs".
Victoria Scott

The robot enters the minature carnival-like atmosphere with mylar walls, mechanical mixing bowls and books that open and close in an eerie ghostly fashion and transmits the images to Stockholm. Teetering on the edge of that balance, the robot moves through her magical world, and heads straight for the "goo", which incidently, she mixed and created herself, and receives a spoonful of the stuff right on top of it.
Francis LeBouthillier

Francis LeBouthillier, "Cat-in-the-hat"; submerges himself in a tank with live eels to confront his inner demons. His work grew out of an impulse: to negotiate a relationship; a perception of that, to literally get in the box with the demons/fears, to see what it was like. Outcome; "it wasn"t too bad." He felt an embryonic peacefulness-curled in the fetal position-naked- with the sound of his own breathing, and oh yeah, his immanent struggle for survival.




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