Artist Statement
People say that in primitive societies wall paintings were works by shamans, whose altered states of consciousness would confer them powers to communicate with the beyond and to intervene in the real world because they would dialogue with spirits. In this installation I simulate an electronic ritual, where “virtual hallucinations” provide us with shamanic powers through digital technologies. The body connected with interfaces in a sensorized environment experience an immersive environment where entire body dialogues with computer electronic memories determining the life of the environment. Three different and simultaneous situations are generated by the action of bodies in real-time. The images change, a red liquid moves within a bowl as an offering to life and the sound of the heartbeats alters. In the back of the room, a big rounded lighted wall shows metamorphoses from North Brazil’s Inga Stone’s pre-historical inscriptions. Simulating three different levels of the shamanic transe digital images, synthetic images in anamorphic, colored, bright, scintillating mutations are managed by neural networks. The sets of images are resultant of the visitors’ behaviors captured by the sensitivity of the sensors and transmitted to the machines. Neural networks inspired in our biological neurological system learn some patterns of behavior and manipulate this data, provoking “visions” in the room in an enigmatic experience of TRANS-E. As an artist, in my recent work, I am offering interactive installations for people to experience consciousness propagation in an organic/inorganic life. Electronic interfaces and neural networks provide intelligent behaviors, managing signals of the human body in sensorized environments. Technologies embody now traces of biological systems, translate them into computerized paradigms, offering emotional experiences and expanding our consciousness. My intention is to check organic laws and proclaim machines’ powers of controlling and expanding natural life in this post-biological era.
Technical Staff Laboratory of Research: Novas Tecnologias nas Artes Visuals Universidade de Caxias do Sul Softwares and Neural Networks Robson Rodrigues Lemos Ana Paula Lüdtke Ferreira Andre Adami Bruna Paula Nervis Evandro Libardi.Gettilio Martins Lupion Mateus Mugnol
Images/ multimedia production:Tatiane Tschoepke Carine Soares Turelly Lilian Maschio Rafael Perottoni.
- Diana Domingues (Brazil) is a Brazilian artist who teaches at the Universidade de Caxias do Sul, investigating art and technology for CNPq and FAPERGS. Doctoral degree in Communication and Semiotics (PUC/SP); MA at the College of Communication and Arts—USP. She is the Coordinator of Master Studies in Communication and Semiotics (PUC/SP—UCS) and of the Researcher Group: New Technologies in Visual Arts, integrating teachers and students of Art, Automation Industrial and Informatics. Multimedia artist explores images, electronic process, Interactive Installation, Art video. She participated in thirty de Belas Artes, Rio de Janeiro, Galeria Sergio Milliet, RJ, Museu de Arte Contemporanea de Sao Paulo. Several (130) group exhibits—International Biennales of Sao Paulo, Taiwan, Cuba, United States, Spain, Uruguay and Italy. Her last art work is TRANS-E—The Body and Technologies. interactive installation. She participated on art/technology events especially ARTMEDIA, ISEA, 1st CAiiA Consciousness Conference.Texts published: Leonardo, 29:4,1997, Esthetigue des Ars Mediathiques, (Louise Poissant), Presses UAOM,Montrea1,1995,Nuovi Media e Sperimentazioni D’Artista, (Costa Mario), Napoli, Edizioni Scientifiche Italiani, 1994, LEA—Leonardo Electronic Almanac. Curator of the international event:A ARTE NO SECULO XXI: A HUMANIZA00 DAS TECNOLOGIAS, Sao Paulo, 1995.