Curators Statement
Partner Event at Charleson Park
Oscillations exists between the ghosts and spirits of place past and those of us who are in present time. Between the electronic and natural worlds, the essence of locale, or genius loci, forms layers of “disruptions”, which emerge differently and sometimes magically over time.
In response to the awareness of the oscillation between physical and electronic space and place, Giorgio Magnanensi of Vancouver New Music and Laura Lee Coles founder of LocoMotoArt, co-curated twenty-two electronic artists in partnership with the 21st International Symposium on Electronic Art – Disruption. Their curatorial effort sought to interrupt the “every day” and transplant human activities through the ubiquitous and sensorial aspects of digital technologies. As the artists moved towards unconventional use and repurposing of urban natural space, a means for local placemaking and exhibiting public art emerged disrupting conventional and traditional boundaries of the Charleson Park space.
With this approach, the works assembled emphasized the electronic and physical space and place by oscillating between the two perceived realms. Oscillations pushed traditional boundaries of urban public art to be more socially interactive, immersive, and inclusive of place while appealing to intimacy and imagination.
Statement by Giorgio Magnanensi
Oscillations exists between the ghosts and spirits of place past and those of us who are in present time. At designated urban natural places, through the concept of the oscillation between the electronic and natural worlds, the essence of locale, or genius loci, forms layers of “disruptions,” which emerge differently and sometimes magically over time.
With this project we wish to invite affective responses while confronting the complex considerations of our predicament in the disruption between nature and place. We also wish to ignite imagination and stir while acknowledging the limitations of what is possible as art. We believe that being able to embody contradictions is a very productive process and with Oscillations we hope to be able to engage everyone’s imagination without needing to endlessly validate either artistic values or “original” ideas, but to act creatively, welcoming affective responses in a real opera aperta, an open work in which each person creates both an interpretation and a performance. The immediate and mediated reality of the place (visually and acoustically) exists in fact autonomously from any kind of imposed directionality. The place (Charleson Park) is, yes, enhanced but not decorated, and the enhancement contributes to the creation of continuously shifting and variable (if not totally new) perceptions of and within the place. Is it possible to transform these different visual and sonic representations to space, and vice versa?
Is there a point where they collapse into each other? Is disruption always a separation? Finally, we wish to thank LocoMotoArt and all the artists involved in this large event, for their generosity, enthusiasm and creative energy. Last but not least a big thank goes to Laura Lee Coles, who instigated this project and worked intensely from the very beginning to bring Oscillations to fruition. We also thank Philippe Pasquier and ISEA2015 for providing support and hosting this event.
Statement by Laura Lee Coles
“Space and place” are components of the living world, which have biological connections that can be mapped, measured, calculated, and used via the experiential. Within this concept of space and place, we find that both resonate multiple qualities, meanings and mediated symbolism, which we often take for granted. Use of space embraces a multitude of competing trajectories, which are interrelated. Contributing to these intertwined boundaries, we find that physical space and place are deeply embedded with technology and thus, electronic space and place is as much a part of space and place as buildings, parks and plazas. As authors Amen and Thrift note, this has “crucial consequences” because “the technical is not seen as separate from the social or the natural.” I consider space and place to be intertwined, ever changing, steeped in complex fluctuating intricacies and temporal changes. In response to the awareness of the oscillation between physical and electronic space and place, Giorgio Magnanensi and I curated twenty-two electronic artists. We seek to interrupt the everyday and transplant human activities through the ubiquitous and sensorial aspects of digital technologies. As the artists move towards unconventional use and repurposing of urban natural space, a means for local place making and exhibiting public art emerges that disrupts conventional and traditional boundaries of the space. With this approach, the works assembled here this evening emphasize the electronic and physical space and place by oscillating between the two perceived realms. It is our intent that Oscillations pushes traditional boundaries of urban public art to be more socially interactive, immersive, and inclusive of place while appealing to intimacy and imagination; that is; community engaged.
Exhibiting Artists:
- PrOphecy Sun & Mirae Rosner
- Dave Leith
- Jean Rothier
- Joda Clement Sammy Chien
- Merlyn Chipman & Jeremy Inkel
- Giorgio Magnanensi Miles Thorogood
- Rob Scharein
- Laura Lee Coles
- Wynne Palmer Giorgio Magnanensi
- Mark Nazemi & Amir Aziz
- Sebemn Ozpeta Phonal aka Phil Thomson
- Bobbi Kozinuk
- Valérie d. Walker
- Aaron Rice Mobile Bioenergy Lab with Stephen J. Barnes,
- Tyler Fox
- Carlos Costellanos
https://www.imapon.org/oscillations.html
https://locomotoart.weebly.com/oscillations.html
Producers: Laura Lee Coles, Giorgio Magnanensi
Graphic Design Poster: Mark Nazemi
Program Design: Maryam Mobini
Marketing & Promotion: Heather McDermid, Charlotte Newman, Zoe Quinn (VNM)
Maryam Mobini and Wynne Palmer (LMA)
Technical Director: Bobbi Kozinuk
Volunteer Coordination: Laura Lee Coles, Wynne Palmer
Documentation: Laura Lee Coles, VANDOCUMENT
www.locomotoart.weebly.com
www.newmusic.org
This exhibition is in partnership with Vancouver Park Board – Arts, Culture and Engagement Department; Vancouver New Music, LocoMotoArt and the 21st International Symposium on Electronic Art (ISEA2015) and funded in part by the City of Vancouver Cultural Affairs Department Community Arts Development Grant
Special Thanks:
Philippe Pasquier, Thecla Schiphorst, Malcolm Levy and Kate Armstrong, Victoria Moulder and support staff of ISEA2015; Heather McDermid, Charlotte Newman and Zoe Quinn of Vancouver New Music; Wynne Palmer, Mark Nazemi and Maryam Mobini of LocoMotoArt Paul Wong, for his letters of support; jil p.weaving and Danita Noyes of the Vancouver Park Board and to all of our dedicated volunteers.
- Giorgio Magnanensi, Vancouver New Music
- Laura Lee Coles, founder of LocoMotoArt, Vancouver