The interaction between art, science, and new technology
Till the 27th of November, La Pelanda at the Macro Testaccio hosts the seventh edition of Romaeuropa’s Digital Life. This year, themes of immersion, fluidity, and de-virtualization are the central focuses of the installations presented. Curator Richard Castelli has done an admirable job in making sure that all the works on display are connected in their goal of providing us with diverse perspectives that are vastly different in the experiences they offer spectators.
Kurt Hentschläger’s Zee submerges its visitors into a foggy environment in which nothing is easy to identify – there is no point of reference except for the rope that circles the space and visitors can use it as a guide to enter and exit the installation. Even though Zee seems simple enough in theory, it strips away the conception of looking at art and makes you a piece of that art, thus allowing your brain to create its own images.
The Roman based Collective NONE’s Deep Dream_Act ll borrows its name form the computer vision program created by Google which was Initially invented to help scientists and engineers in seeing what a deep neural network is seeing when it is looking in a given image. In this particular instillation this computer program is used to reproduce a sort of autonomous creativity using the web. It aims to place the spectator within the data stream that he himself creates, where space and time do not exist. The spectator travels through a continuous stream of data with in a dimensional space composed of mirrors and projections in which he loses the reference for space-time.
Fluidity in motion is a simple yet genuine way to describe 3D Water Matrix by Shiro Takatani and Christian Partos, two artists who have composed two works for this 3D water matrix alternately perform in a half hour cycle. Takatani’s piece ST/LL is described as a gravity-defying animation and Christian Partos piece The Sorcerer’s Apprentice is described as a water sculpture. Upon entering this serene dark room, you are invited to take a seat on the many cushions that are scattered within the space and watch this hypnotizing piece of art for as long as your heart desires.
Till 27 November
La Pelanda-MACRO TESTACCIO
Piazza Orazio Giustiniani, 4
Tue-Sat 4-8pm; Sun 11am-7pm; Monday closed
Entry Fee €5/7
