[ISEA2015] Artist Statement: Herman Kolgen — SEISMIK

Artist Statement

Audiovisual performance (2014)

Seismik is a dazzling, tension charged performance that taps into seismic waves, frictional  resistance and the Earth’s tremor related phenomena in real time. True to Kolgen’s temporal/ spatial conceptual preoccupations and radiographic approach, he again renders the invisible  visible: he has developed sophisticated software that picks up on the Earth’s magnetic fields and seismic activity from São Paolo to Kyoto, in turn generating abstracted sound and dramatic visual motifs. Exploring the ambiguity of realism in post human landscapes, Kolgen creates three-dimensional simulations through the instability of dynamical systems and converts them into large scale cinematic visuals. A dramatic display of terrestrial activity, Seismik plays on notions of physical, cerebral and emotional tension, in this case using vibrational data and vertical through-lines to explore seismic strains and fractures of varying  intensities, planting the audience squarely on terra (not so) firma. Video: Herman Kolgen — ISOTOPP /// ESPACE

  • Internationally renowned, multifaceted multimedia artist Herman Kolgen has been modeling sumptuous ‘audiocinetic’ sculptures for over twenty years. The Montréal, Canada-based sight and sound virtuoso continually hatches new conceptual approaches to celebrate the powerful synergy (and intimacy) at the heart of his audiovisual works. His installation and performance pieces boast a hybrid technical language and a singular and bold aesthetic, sitting at the juncture of many artistic practices. From 1996 to 2008, Kolgen  dedicated the majority of his immersive practice to the audiovisual Skoltz_Kolgen duo, performing at prestigious international events such as Berlin’s Transmediale, the Venice Biennale, Austria’s Ars Electronica, and multiple appearances at MUTEK.

Text with images (PDF) p. 184