Body Pixel

Kinetic sculptures and robotics could be also perceived in perfomative aspect, not only as installations communicating within the object itself and the creator – sculptor, engineer, passionate geek.

Therefore, I’ve picked up Peter William Holden‘s installations and cinematix approach where he tend to re-interpret the space, objects, movements, music and choreography of ‘wired’ objects; making the idea of robotics pretty poetic.

Arabesque by P. W. Holden taken from Ars Electronica

Peter William Holden (1972, UK) lives and works in Leipzig, Germany. Holden is installation artists influenced by electronic subculture and street culture. He makes kinetic sculptures and movies which were presented at numerous exhibitions and festivals, such as: “Move” New Media Festival, 13th CanariasMediafest, [ars] Numerica, TEDance – Technologically Expanded Dance, E-Art Festival ‘Digital Art & Magic Moments’, Le monde est plein d’images, ROBODOCK -Technology & Arts Festival, Almost Cinema, Ars Electronica, etc.

Photo taken from interactive architecture

‘Arabesque’
About the film:
With its roots in Mary Shelly’s “Frankenstein” and the alchemist’s laboratory, the installation presents itself as a mechanical flower: a simulacrum of nature. Life sized human body parts, impaled upon steel, move and sway and dance. The limbs, translucent and livid, bare their internal robotic mechanisms to the gaze of the viewer. The wiring itself is an aesthetic expression deliberately integrated into the installation to bring chaotic lines of abstract form to contrast with the organized symmetry of the body parts.

The lifeblood of this organism is air and when activated this air flows invisibly, bestowing movement to these mechanisms and its presence is only betrayed when exhaled loudly from the valves attached to the serpentine air hose.This combined with the rattle of relays and the tandem clattering of pistons to produce a hyper-modern accompaniment to the music of Strauss.

Part cinema, part theatre, “Arabesque” can be viewed form a multitude of angles, revealing a kaleidoscope of beautiful shapes and patterns created from the human form. (Text by P. W. Holden)

‘AutoGene’
About the film:
‘AutoGene’ itself is a simple aesthetic looking robot composed of eight modified umbrellas which function as mechanical pixels. These umbrellas are mounted in a circular pattern and joined via a cocktail of air hoses and electrical cables to a small industrial computer. They follow a preprogrammed sequence which gives the illusion “AutoGene” can dance to music. Thus eroding the machines mechanical qualities and transforming the mundane umbrellas into magical animated objects. (Text  by P. W. Holden)