Panel Statement

Panel: Archiving Digital Heritage

Keywords: Multisensorial, Documenta, Sao Paulo Biennale, Mutisensorial, Mariotti, Media Art

This paper will give an overview of the seminal works of Francesco Mariotti, an artist of Swiss origin (Bern, 1943) who has lived between Peru and Switzerland since 1952 and can be regarded as one of the pioneers of media art both in Latin America and Europe; more importantly, his work linked both continents in distinctive dialogues relating social processes, natural phenomena and technology. In 1968, during the 4th Documenta in Kassel he produced one of the first interactive installations in media art history: “Project Geldmacher – Mariotti”. A year later, in 1969, during the X Sao Paulo Biennial, he presented “The Circular Movement of Light”, a multisensorial (light, smell, sound) installation. Through extensive research of the archives of both Documenta and Sao Paulo Biennial, this paper focuses on these two seminal works with emphasis on their main characteristics and explores how these projects are an early example of works on participatory and social processes, natural and multisensorial phenomena, arguing that through the use of technology, these should be regarded as significant works of the history of media art in Latin America.

• José-Carlos Mariátegui, Alta Tecnología Andina – ATA, Lima, Peru. Writer, curator and scholar on culture and new media. Studied Biology and received his BSc in Applied Mathematics, holds both Masters and Doctoral degrees in Information Systems and Innovation from the London School of Economics and Political Science – LSE (London). Dr. Mariátegui is the founder of Alta Tecnología Andina – ATA and co-founder of Escuelab.org, spaces devoted to creativity, technology and innovation in Latin America. Member of the Advisory Board of the Ministry of Culture (2010/2012-2017). Editorial Board member for Leonardo Books at MIT Press. Lives in London (UK) and Lima (Peru).

Full text (PDF) p. 751-754