Synchronicity (16mm)
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16mm film, stereo sound. Robin Meier Wiratunga, 2022 16mm photographic film was directly exposed to the light of two captive fireflies (Pteroptyx malaccae). Inside a dark space, without camera or optics, the insects were simply placed on an analogue film strip. Using techniques described in some the earliest scientific publications on the study of fireflies the film aims to reveal traces and patterns in the most direct way possible. The film is set to a soundtrack of field recordings made on location with ultrasound microphones. As the film progresses, the soundtrack gradually slows down and pulls the listener into the perceptual world of insects. Rhythmic patterns appear, previously hidden in the chirp of insects, bats and other sounds outside the human hearing range slowly become audible as flashes of light stimulate our optic nerve.             |
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Relaxation Exercises for the Apocalypse
Inhale, exhale and relax for the ultimate apocalypse. Embark on an astral projection to the astrophysical end of the universe.
Relaxation Exercises for the Apocalypse
Inhale, exhale and relax for the ultimate apocalypse. Embark on an astral projection to the astrophysical end of the universe.
Apophenia – Meaningful Connections Between Things
A neuroscientist, a dancer, a pigeon fancier and a string trio connect neuronal patterns in the brain with patterns in bird flocks, dance, music and language : “neuromancer meets ornithomancer”.
Apophenia – Meaningful Connections Between Things
A neuroscientist, a dancer, a pigeon fancier and a string trio connect neuronal patterns in the brain with patterns in bird flocks, dance, music and language : “neuromancer meets ornithomancer”.
Singing with the Insect Choir: A culicomorpha swarm reacting to voices of two scientists
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Singing with the Insect Choir: A culicomorpha swarm reacting to voices of two scientists
In 1861, the entomologist Osten-Sacken refers to a Cuban naturalist who once told him that whenever the note ‘A’ was played by a band, the swarm of mosquitoes hovering over his head suddenly flew downward toward his face. More recently, during their research on mosquitoes and chironomids, scientists Lionel Feugère and Gabriella Gibson also noticed how these insects react to the sound of their voices. A musical relationship unfolds as night falls on the marshes of Northward Hill in northern Kent.
Chimera States: Synchronicity exhibition at EPFL, Switzerland
Current mathematical models don’t capture the complexities of the fireflies’ synchronizing behaviour, instigating the creation of new models called Chimera States. A collaboration with the mathematics department of Northwestern University resulted in a multichannel video installation “Chimera States”, displayed at EPFL Pavilions in 2023.
Chimera States: Synchronicity exhibition at EPFL, Switzerland
Current mathematical models don’t capture the complexities of the fireflies’ synchronizing behaviour, instigating the creation of new models called Chimera States. A collaboration with the mathematics department of Northwestern University resulted in a multichannel video installation “Chimera States”, displayed at EPFL Pavilions in 2023.
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Concert for live mosquitoes, Dhrupad singer and Ondes Martenot
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Dreamachine
During la Nuit Blanche in Paris, Dream Machine transformed the Paris Art Lab pavilion into a hypnotic sound installation. This concert-installation channeled the ghosts of Brion Gysin, Marian Zazeela and La Monte Young propagating clouds of psychedelic beat culture into the parisian air. Several musicians connect with this sensorial experience through a series of concerts – a trip to be enjoyed with your eyes closed.
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Satie Variations (Offspring)
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Collective Feeding
In 2014, Dutch authorities began to kill a small population of house crows (corvus splendens) near the Port of Rotterdam. The crows likely arrived from Sri Lanka around 1994 as stowaways on a commercial container boat. Apparently, international trade in a country is now understood to be the most reliable predictor of the number of introduced species found there. The house crows were all killed, except for one that found shelter in a Dutch apartment.
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The Vanishing Actor
A contribution by Bastien Gallet and myself to a special issue of Architectural Design (Volume 87, Issue 4 – July 2017) edited by Skylar Tibbits, “AD Autonomous Assembly: Designing for a New Era of Collective Construction“. PDF link below:
Synchronicity (NYC)
Synchronicity (Thailand) is shown at Arsenal Contemporary NY – 214 Bowery – from 6 March to 22 April 2018. Press Release Article in Whitewall 39 must-see shows in artnet Thank you Pierre and Anne-Marie Trahan, Isabelle Kowal, Loreta Lamargese, Elise Gallant and last
Synchronicity (NYC)
Synchronicity (Thailand) is shown at Arsenal Contemporary NY – 214 Bowery – from 6 March to 22 April 2018. Press Release Article in Whitewall 39 must-see shows in artnet Thank you Pierre and Anne-Marie Trahan, Isabelle Kowal, Loreta Lamargese, Elise Gallant and last
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