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Anna Frants (USA), Artist Union. Still life. From the series “Matter of Chance”, media Ins

A joint project of the CYFEST International Media Art Festival and XXII International Image Festival, XENOlandscapes

festivaldelaimagen.com

 

Bogotá

May 26 — June 8

Museo de Artes Visuales (MAV), Universidad de Bogotá Jorge Tadeo Lozano

Cra. 4 # 22 - 44 - Museo de Artes Visuales - U Tadeo

 

Installation & Performance 

Anna Frants, Artist Union 

Vasilii Bakanov and Andrew Strokov, Slow burning. Still Life

Sergey Komarov, Murmuration

Alexey Grachev and Alexander Bochkov, Symphony for 2 Bicycles

 

Video

Lydia Rikker, Dolls

Lilia Li-Mi-Yan and Katherina Sadovsky, Where is my plastic bag

 

Manizales

May 29 — June 1

Museo de Arte de Caldas, Sala Oscar Naranjo

Cll. 33 # 24 - 28 - Museo de Arte de Caldas, Sala Oscar Naranjo

 

Installation & Performance 

Anna Frants, Artist Union 

Vasilii Bakanov and Andrew Strokov, Slow burning, Live Broadcast from Bogota

Alexey Grachev and Alexander Bochkov, Symphony for 2 Bicycles

CYLAND Media Art Lab will take part in the XXII International Image Festival, XENOlandscapes, Colombia.

 

At the invitation of curator Asher Remy-Toledo, director of HyphenHub, NYC, CYLAND Media Art Lab will take part in two exhibitions at once, in Bogotá (May 26–June 8) and Manizales (May 29–June 1). The festival will feature Made in CYLAND multimedia installations and performances, as well as a thematic selection of video art. 

 

Titled XENOlandscapes, the XXII edition of the International Image Festival will focus on what Bruno Latour called the Cry of the Earth — the power of action of people and communities that allows them to alter and transform their small environments, thus achieving a movement of regeneration of ecosystems that enable their survival. The works in the program offer a vision of design as a tool for change and reflection, that contributes to the reformulation of consumption practices, and reimagine environment as a place of creation and democratic distribution of knowledge.

 

The selection of works presented by the CYLAND Media Art Lab at the XXII International Image Festival reflects the theme of XENOlandscapes through dual optics of Arts & Science that incorporates and rediscovers not only divergent visual languages and technological cultures but also multiple sets of relations between art professionals and non-artistic communities.

 

Anna Frants’ Artist Union makes ironic references to official academic models of learning and the communities they form. Developed in collaboration with CYLAND Media Art Lab creative engineers, the project provokes debates about the formatted art education curricula and cannon-making forces and creates an immersive experience for its audiences. 

 

The Symphony for 2 Bicycles by Alexey Grachev and Alexander Bochkov is built upon the artists’ long-standing passion for cycling both as a lifestyle and as an artistic medium. Vasilii Bakanov’s Slow Burning reveals his identity as a professional chef and via creative engineering by Andrew Strokov transforms this work environment into a techno-sensual experience. Both works connect seemingly distant worlds, competencies, and communities, introducing contemporary media art to the concept of friendship as a form of artistic collaboration and alternative creative ecosystem.


Murmuration by Sergey Komarov metaphorically explores the feeling of being-not-in-place and the artist's experience of dislocation. Video works by Lydia Rikker, Lilia Li-Mi-Yan, and Katherina Sadovsky expand this autobiographical narrative with the themes of alienation, cyber environments, and (non)human body, casting a view on the imbalance between the industrial aesthetics and the destructive anti-ecological power of technology.

With the participation of Anna Frants, Vasilii Bakanov, Sergey Komarov, Alexey Grachev, Alexander Bochkov, Lydia Rikker, Lilia Li-Mi-Yan, and Katherina Sadovsky.

Curated by Lydia Griaznova, and Victoria Ilyushkina (video).

 

Installation

Vasilii Bakanov and Andrew Strokov

Slow burning. Still Life

Installation, 2020 (edition of 2021)

 

OpenCV, Python, Arduino; 3x black box (thermally insulated), heaters, temperature and humidity sensor, HD webcam, flood light, DIN rail, microcontroller modules, Raspberry PI, Korg Monotron Delay, fruits

Engineers Andrew Strokov, Alexey Grachev, Alexander Bochkov; 3D modeling Alexander Bochkov; Python programming Andrew Strokov

Supported by CYLAND Media Art Lab

 

Three fruits on pedestals are contained inside a black box. In artificially created and regularly maintained conditions, the fruits pass through three chemical reactions — caramelization, the Maillard reaction and enzymatic browning. Usually, these processes take place within minutes in cooking. Here they are intentionally prolonged in time. Inside the box constant humidity and a temperature of 60 degrees Celsius are maintained, thus killing bacteria which cause decay. In ideal and constantly controlled conditions, the fruits preserve their form, and burn up inside from day to day at the lowest possible speed.

 

Visitors can observe the slowly burning still life by watching it in real-time on the video panel placed on the boxes. But the main activity remains hidden and takes place at the molecular level. Its tangible manifestation is a monotonous soundtrack performed by the fruits themselves. Information about the external appearance of each fruit is converted into sound waves. The processes inside the box are analyzed and sonified by an analog synthesizer. The sound pitch and timbre depend on temperature, humidity, fruit size and color. As the fruit burns up, the sound “burns up” as well and becomes increasingly dull and quiet.

 

The process is an artificially prolonged borderline state of “in between”. The metamorphosis is too slow to perceive by the naked eye. Because of the unnatural maximum delay, all differences vanish in the abyss of time to the accompaniment of a droning trio. However, it is still an open question as to whether the process will proceed in the way that was intended. Every effort has been made, all we can do is to wait and see what will happen next.

Anna Frants

Artist Union. Still life

From the series “Matter of Chance”

Media installation, 2019

In collaboration with CYLAND Media Art Lab

Courtesy of the Kolodzei Art Foundation
 

“Artist Union. Still life” is a reflection on the law of large numbers. Is it applicable in visual arts — to colors in painting, lines in graphics, forms in sculpture, and the image integrity in installations? The law of large numbers is a principle that describes the completion of the same experiment many times. According to this law, the joint action of a large number of random factors leads to a result almost independent of the chance. For example, in the XVI century the length of the English foot was defined, by a royal order, as the arithmetic average length of the foot of the first 16 people leaving the church on Sunday matins. Although the law of large numbers was not yet defined, it serves as the basis for the principle of arithmetic mean used in determining the length of a foot.

Sergey Komarov 

Murmuration 

Generative a/v installation, 2023

Key process: real-time generated video and sound;

Programming languages / Software: Max/MSP/Jitter

Technical components: Mac mini, USB-MIDI, Yamaha TX7 FM synthesizer, short throw projector, speakers

Installation components: Installation environment: chicken wire mesh (40x40x90cm), English edition of Vladimir Nabokov’s “Pale Fire”

 

Concept, Engineer: Sergey Komarov 

Place of creation: Yerevan, Armenia

 

One of the hypotheses of what murmuration is — the preparation of birds for migration, the training of young animals, and the debugging of interaction within the flock. Another meaning of the word "murmuration" is the noise made up of the chatter of the crowd. An interesting fact is that while murmuring, birds make humming sounds, as if they are in a trance or chatting.

 

In this work, the cloud of murmuring dots-birds represents the wave of migration that occurred in 2022. This is a flock of temporarily settled people who have found a place under the roof, but dreaming of returning everything as it was. They are circling, preparing either to settle down, or to move somewhere further.

 

Within this set, each point pulls its own connections. The process of migration involves the arrangement of relatives and friends, the new organization of work and household processes, the movement of pets and things to which there is affection.

 

The algorithm for simulating a flock of birds is associated with such a thing — a synthesizer taken with you on a migration. The movement of the flock creates a meditative soundtrack. At the same time, the old synthesizer periodically chocking with the data flow, leaving in indistinct noise.

 

The book by Vladimir Nabokov, "Pale Fire" is placed under one of the speakers. The excerpt from it was used in the movie "Blade Runner 2049" as a test on the mental stability of a replicant. It is turned out to be in tune with this artwork  

 

— Were you ever arrested? Cells.

— Did you spend much time in the cell? Cells.

— Have you ever been in an instituion? Cells.

— Do they keep you in a cell? Cells.

— When you're not performing your duties do they keep you in a little box? Cells. Interlinked.

— What's it like to hold the hand of someone you love? Interlinked.

— Do they teach you how to feel finger to finger? Interlinked.

— Do you long for having your heart interlinked? Interlinked.

— Do you dream about being interlinked?

— Have they left a place for you where you can dream? Interlinked.

— What's it like to hold your child in your arms? Interlinked.

— What's it like to play with your dog? Interlinked.

— Do you feel that there's a part of you that's missing? Interlinked.

— Do you like to connect to things? Interlinked.

— What happens when that linkage is broken? Interlinked.

— Have they let you feel heartbreak? Interlinked.

— Did you buy a present for the person you love? Within cells interlinked.

— Why don't you say that three times? Within cells interlinked. Within cells interlinked. Within cells interlinked.

 

Performance

Alexey Grachev, Alexander Bochkov, Sergey Komarov

Symphony for 2 bicycles

 

The artists on the bikes regulate the sound and rhythm by their pedaling, and together create the final work. How the “symphony” is performed depends on the motion of both cyclists. The intentions and aspirations of the participant acquire sonic expression. They may become synchronized, and try to turn the pedals in the same rhythm, to be in harmony. Or they may intentionally disturb this and cause harmonic fluctuations, creating complex combinations of sounds that arise when movements are not synchronized.

Video

Lydia Rikker

Dolls

2019, 00:06:54

 

“Who do children’s dolls smile at innocently? What do their older versions, the mannequins in shop windows, keep silent about? Using found footage of a study of Freud’s “The Uncanny” (Unheimlichkeit), the director peers into the depths of childhood fears. For almost 7 minutes, along with the director we try to understand what it means to be a toy, what it means to be an owner, and how people differ from their plastic doubles”.

 

The experimental film ‘Dolls’ became the ‘Best International Student Experimental Short Film’ in the Festival Universitario de Cine y Audiovisuales Equinoxio Bogotá (Colombia), also it was screened in the following festivals: Biofiction (Vienna, Austria), FIVA Festival Internacional de Videoarte (Buenos Aires, Argentina), Bethlehem Student Film Festival (Palestine). The film was made while studying in the experimental film laboratory (curated by Mikhail Zheleznikov, Saint Petersburg School of New Cinema). 

Lilia Li-Mi-Yan, Katherina Sadovsky

Where is my plastic bag

2018–2020, 00:05:00

 

What ideas come to your mind when you hear the word "future"? Do you imagine your very own and private future or fantasize about something global, where all humanity will participate?

The film features slow industrial images from different departments of a plastic processing plant, shown on three screens. Suddenly, among the powerful machines, a fragile human body appears with strange plastic objects that look like cells, like new organs formed outside, not inside. Some cyborgs with implants that move and breathe with them.

Macro shooting of factory processes resembles natural phenomena, such as volcanic eruptions, geyser explosions, the rapid flow of a mountain river, and at the top of all this is a human, possibly already a post-human. All this is very anthropocentric. Today, humans are the most important at the geophysical level, and global warming is our business. The burning of various types of energy in large quantities (oil, gas, the production of petroleum products, plastics). Can we stop them?

This is interesting. Seen from a social point of view, not scientific, many people relate to environmental issues separately from humanity. As if the consequences, in our case — from plastic, will negatively affect nature, the planet, but not us. We seem to separate ourselves from nature. It is unlikely that now producers and processors of petroleum products will quit their activities. But they will have to adapt to the present, the future, and modify their actions.

 

 

Vasilii Bakanov

 

Media artist, R&D specialist and chef. Born in 1987 in Kaluga, USSR. Graduated from the Moscow Automobile and Road Construction State Technical University (MADI, Russia). Hardware engineer at CYLAND Media Art Lab. As a chef he participated in the semi-final of the S.Pellegrino Young Chef 2018 (Moscow, Russia), and as an artist in such festivals as Theatrum: Re-Formation (2020, Moscow, Russia) and CYFEST-14: Ferment (2021, Dartington, UK). He gave a workshop on rediscovering ancient techniques of fermentation at Dartington Hall (2021, Dartington, UK).

Alexander Bochkov

 

Engineer, 3D modeler and media artist. Born in 1990 in Orsk, USSR. Founder of the “Reverse Side of the Road” gravel cycling race. Co-founder of the cycling brand Sin_x. Сhief 3D printing specialist at CYLAND Media Art Lab. Participated in such festivals as Chronotope (2021, Vyborg, Russia) and CYFEST-14: Ferment (2021, Dartington, UK). Lives and works in Yerevan, Armenia.

Anna Frants 

 

Artist, curator in the field of media art. Born in 1965 in Leningrad, USSR. She graduated from the Vera Mukhina Higher School of Art and Design (Leningrad, USSR) and Pratt Institute (New York, USA). Founder of the nonprofit cultural foundation Cyland Foundation Inc. Cofounder of CYLAND Media Art Lab and CYFEST. Frants’ interactive installations have been showcased at Museum of Art and Design (New York, USA), Video Guerrilha Festival (Brazil), Manifesta 10 Biennale (2014, St. Petersburg, Russia), Hermitage Museum (St. Petersburg, Russia), Chelsea Art Museum (New York, USA), Russian Museum (St. Petersburg, Russia), Kunstquartier Bethanien (Berlin, Germany), Hatcham Church Gallery, Goldsmiths, University of London (UK), Dartington Estate (UK), Ca’ Foscari Zattere Cultural Flow Zone (Venice, Italy), MAXXI Museum (Rome, Italy), National Arts Club (New York, USA) and at other major venues all over the world. The artist’s works are held in the collections of the Russian Museum (St. Petersburg, Russia), Museum of Art and Design (New York, USA), Sergey Kuryokhin Center for Modern Art (St. Petersburg, Russia) and Kolodzei Art Foundation (New York, USA) as well as in numerous private collections. Lives and works in Miami, USA.

 

Alexey Grachev

 

Media artist, engineer, computer programmer. Born in 1983 in Kaluga, USSR. Graduated from the Bauman Moscow State Technical University (Russia). Completed the program “School for Young Artists” at the Pro Arte Foundation (St. Petersburg, Russia). Technical director and chief engineer of CYLAND Media Art Lab. Participant of the World Event Young Artists Festival (2012, Nottingham, UK), CYFEST (many times), special project “Urbi et Orbi” at the 6th Moscow Biennale (2015, Russia) and “The Creative Machine 2” exhibition at Goldsmiths, University of London (2018, UK). Participant of the “Arts Work of the Future” project in the Tate Exchange space (2018, London, UK). He has given lectures and workshops at the University of the Arts London (UK), St. Petersburg Stieglitz Academy of Art and Design (St. Petersburg, Russia), Pro Arte (St. Petersburg, Russia), and ITMO University (St. Petersburg, Russia). 

 

 

Sergey Komarov

 

Sound artist, curator, engineer, computer programmer. Born in 1980 in Kaluga, USSR. Since 2008, he has worked as a computer programmer at CYLAND Media Art Lab; since 2012, has curated audio projects and CYLAND Audio Archive (cyland.bandcamp.com). Since 2015, together with Alexey Grachev, he has developed the project “Subjectivization of Sound” based on the interaction between space and spectators. Participant of CYFESTs in various years, Archstoyanie Festival (2014, Kaluga Region, Russia) and “The Creative Machine 2” exhibition at Goldsmiths, University of London (2018, UK). Currently lives and works in Yerevan, Armenia.

Andrew Strokov

 

Engineer, programmer, media artist. Born in 1991 in the Omsk region (USSR). Graduated from the Physics Faculty of Omsk State University (Russia) and the master’s program of the St. Petersburg Electrotechnical University “LETI” (Russia). He has worked on developing electronic and biomedical devices and systems of the Internet of Things. One of the founders and resident of the hackerspace B4CKSP4CE (St. Petersburg, Russia). Participated in such festivals as Chaos Constructions (2019, St. Petersburg, Russia), Chronotope (2021, Vyborg, Russia) and CYFEST-14: Ferment (2021, Dartington, UK). 

Lidiya Rikker

 

Director and media artist. Born in 1982. Graduate of the experimental film laboratory of the St. Petersburg School of New Cinema (Russia). Participant of various festivals in Russia and abroad.

Lilia Li-Mi-Yan and Katherina Sadovsky

 

Lilia Li-Mi-Yan (b. 1971) and Katherina Sadovsky (b. 1985) are a duo of Russian artists, currently based in Moscow. They studied photography at the Rodchenko Art School, Moscow. They have been working together since 2016. Their versatile approach to art practice covers such art media as photography, painting, sculpture, photo books, installation, video, sound, intervention in public and natural spaces, and social activism by collecting plastic waste in Moscow. Awards: The science and culture museum at Michigan State University grant, USA (2022), ReStore Digital art Awards, Moscow, Russia (2022), Nominees of the 1st Moscow Art Prize in the category "Art and Architecture" (2020), International Photography Grant, USA – finalists in the Documentary category (2019)

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