Sunday, March 9, 2008

Body Movies ... #284

You make the art.
Playful, communal, carnivalesque. Body Movies, Rafael Lozano-Hemmer's larger-than-life, award-winning installation, is at the crossroads of technology and performance. Hundreds of photo portraits taken on the streets of New Zealand, mixed with those taken from other cities where the work has been shown, is projected onto the Cable Street façade of Te Papa. Bright lights placed at ground level completely wash out the portraits. As passers-by walk into the area their silhouettes are thrown onto the building, revealing the portraits underneath.You can match or animate the portraits depending on where you stand or what you do.

Lozano-Hemmer calls his projects "relational architecture" and stages them in response to a "crisis of urban self-representation". Representing Mexico for its debut at the 2007 Venice Biennale, Rafael's work has been shown in more than two dozen cities and has won numerous awards, including a Prix Ars Electronica and two BAFTAs.Inspired by surveillance equipment and robotics, Lozano-Hemmer surrenders control of the work to you. Animate the portraits, make shadow-play, interact with fellow onlookers – and take back the city.
Playful, communal and carnivalesque,

Body Movies is the crossroads of technology and performance.
cost: Free
featuring: rafael lozano-hemmer
dates: Fri 22 Feb 08 - Sun 16 Mar 08, every day, 9:00pm
venue: Te Papa, Cable Street, Wellington region: Wellington, New Zealand