Maja Cerar, Liubo Borissov: Autopoiesis Memesis
Artist(s):
Title:
- Autopoiesis Memesis
Exhibition:
Creation Year:
- 2007
Medium:
- Live, amplified violin with electronic music accompaniment, choreographed movement in darkness with electroluminescent wires, projected live video processing
Category:
Artist Statement:
Autopoiesis is a work that imagines realities and is, in part, a humorous document of the discussions between the two authors about the beginning of the universe. It tackles the idea of existing in more than one place at a single time and coping with a duplicate of oneself. It is also an exploration of degrees of and limits to comprehending relationships between cause and effect, mass and vacuum, and is played out in a dialogue between a physical figure and its virtual (projected) manifestation, in which both of them constantly move and change without evolving. One can see the lines projected on the screen as the reality created by force and matter acting on stage, which in itself is an illusion orchestrated by the performers. Autopoiesis is followed and complemented by Mimesis, a more serious exploration of the ancient tension between imperfect reality and ideal form as furthered by art’s mimicry. Two-dimensional representation is challenged in a quest both rational and irrational to tap into the essence of the eternal. In contrast to Autopoiesis, which is performed in complete darkness, Mimesis is enacted in full light, to make palpable the physical challenge of the material.
Technical Information:
For Autopoiesis, the violinist wears a uniquely designed set of glowing electro-luminescent wires in a dark space. A video camera is trained on the violinist, and a computer tracks her movements. As she moves, the computer uses her location data to process the sound of the violin and the moving image of her figure. These computer-generated materials are then projected back into the performance space via loudspeakers and a large video screen located onstage behind the violinist. For Mimesis, the violinist is well illuminated and the general lighting evokes daylight to the extent this is possible without obstructing the video projection.
