Johannes de Silentio 2013

Artist Statement:

Johannes de Silentio is a work in progress that explores the atmosphere of the absurd that one may feel when living in Johannesburg. This work sketches an imaginary world of city living and underground chaos. It maps strangers paths through this world, recording the figures' movements forward, upwards and sometimes falling down. The installation maps the earthly tremors that may cause a stranger to be knocked off balance, and charting the attempts of these strangers to regain their stability after vacillating from side to side. The images included in this presentation are of the alpha prototype for the Johannes de Silentio installation.

Empirical data:

Medium: Wall Installation, mixed media: prints: drypoints and monotypes, cotton waste, physical computing components: arduino uno board, servo motors, DC motors, potentiometer, LED lights, stopframe animation, found objects, thread, gauze and shade cloth.

Dimensions: Wall installation, approximately 4m x 2m. This wall installation can be presented within a dark and contained room.

How the installation works:

The installation requires the presence of the viewer to activate it. Sensors are attached to the work, which control all the physical computing parts. If there are no viewers present in the room, the installation will not be active. As soon as a sensor detects the movement or presence of a viewer, the motors, vibration boards and LED lights will be activated and the installation will come to life.

The more the viewer engages with the work through movement and touch, the more the motors and vibrations boards move, and the more the installation light up (via LED lights placed in strategic locations of the installation). Furthermore, the animated figures, which are individually attached to motors, are also connected to a potentiometer. The viewer can turn the dial of the potentiometer from side to side, which then changes the speed and direction of the motors.