Connected: Eject before disconnecting
March 6-October 18, 2009
The RISD Museum
224 Benefit Street
Providence, RI
Fearfully cowering below the battle of the bland faculty show at the RISD museum is a lurking futuristic but sad 4-D super-being. Rendered in electronic appliances, toys, plastic bags and containers in participation with water, air, light motion sensors, computer and electrical parts and video footage this little guy communicates the effect of visiting a distant relative of the old-world on life support from a overburdened late 20th century.
Coming across at random in the dark and knowing nothing about the work or artist it was liberatingly enjoyable to experience the 'being' without any judgment of the idea from the artist or institution (too dark for plaques). It sorta was what it was. For me, the 'promises of technology' concept could have either been inverted or very well championed depending on your position or how well you interacted or were put off by the thing. My guess was it is both.
For those not experiencing it, I'd say it was pretty close to E.T. in cuteness factor. The creature, a casting call cast off from a "Matrix Reloaded" revival - Lower East Side play - circa 2069, contributes great ambiance but little utilitarian purpose. The creature floats at the top of the ceiling like pathetic caricatured balloons at a childrens' party - breathing in and out its own oxygen.
Visiting the space is like ogling any creature at the zoo, or some replication of a futuristic one. quite a feat on behalf of the artist showing in what amounted to a dead space between galleries, as I almost felt empathy for the thing. In fact, it reminded me of George Saunders' short story Pastoralia which featured a "historical reconstruction" theme park where humans are paid to reenact the banal cave life of eating imaginary bugs and drawing figures on walls while suppressing their desire to speak English or complain about their paycheck during work hours.
On further research, the artist's intent IS to showcase the alienating quality of technology in his self-created medium of "interchanging process between people and space." Technology for Huang inevitably separates us in our own little worlds, and not surprisingly in forms we did not anticipate such as existentially emitting from our twitter box and facebook. This is in stark contrast to the past conceptions of future alienation predicted in 20th century Sci-Fi, of which Huang's creation emulates like a drag queen.
Visiting the space is like ogling any creature at the zoo, or some replication of a futuristic one. quite a feat on behalf of the artist showing in what amounted to a dead space between galleries, as I almost felt empathy for the thing. In fact, it reminded me of George Saunders' short story Pastoralia which featured a "historical reconstruction" theme park where humans are paid to reenact the banal cave life of eating imaginary bugs and drawing figures on walls while suppressing their desire to speak English or complain about their paycheck during work hours.
On further research, the artist's intent IS to showcase the alienating quality of technology in his self-created medium of "interchanging process between people and space." Technology for Huang inevitably separates us in our own little worlds, and not surprisingly in forms we did not anticipate such as existentially emitting from our twitter box and facebook. This is in stark contrast to the past conceptions of future alienation predicted in 20th century Sci-Fi, of which Huang's creation emulates like a drag queen.
The low tech - rather than being just a medium or trope as with much art - really encapsulates our foolish premonitions. think: VR (virtual reality) or hovercraft cars
Huang's achievement is constructing a creature that is far more organic than the master of the medium Nam June Paik. Similar to Brooklyn-based artist Noah Fischer (whose more recent emphasis is on a more sterile objecthood, and the fetish for Judd-esq sublime multifunctionality), this creature becomes the empathetic mascot at the pregnant intersection between waste and the promise of technology.
A being of absolute detritus, breathing in, breathing out, kept on life-support by the museum, but somewhat endearing at the same time. Each object in the piece (the main creature is surrounded by a less impressive entourage of blinking-trash-orbs), metaphors aside - is literally in flux of personality and energy, and since it is not really all that advanced exists as probably the most intriguing transformative DIY art I have seen in recent memory, especially considering the RISD surrounds whose halls I can only imagine have run amok with such tropes.
A creative Gollum, or harbinger for good art in boxed in times.
The title of course, referring to the warning message that flashes on a peripheral (such as an ipod) when it’s connected to another computer via USB. As if we do not have the ability to just walk away from the situations we create, we have to ask permission and sign out slowly.
Huang's achievement is constructing a creature that is far more organic than the master of the medium Nam June Paik. Similar to Brooklyn-based artist Noah Fischer (whose more recent emphasis is on a more sterile objecthood, and the fetish for Judd-esq sublime multifunctionality), this creature becomes the empathetic mascot at the pregnant intersection between waste and the promise of technology.
A being of absolute detritus, breathing in, breathing out, kept on life-support by the museum, but somewhat endearing at the same time. Each object in the piece (the main creature is surrounded by a less impressive entourage of blinking-trash-orbs), metaphors aside - is literally in flux of personality and energy, and since it is not really all that advanced exists as probably the most intriguing transformative DIY art I have seen in recent memory, especially considering the RISD surrounds whose halls I can only imagine have run amok with such tropes.
A creative Gollum, or harbinger for good art in boxed in times.
The title of course, referring to the warning message that flashes on a peripheral (such as an ipod) when it’s connected to another computer via USB. As if we do not have the ability to just walk away from the situations we create, we have to ask permission and sign out slowly.
images @Shih Chieh Huang http://www.messymix.com/
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