The Touch of the Invisible (Smart Country)

Smart Country
Touching the Invisible
Smart Studio / Interactive Institute, Stockholm
ARTISTS FEATURED:
Thomas Broomé, Arijana Kajfes, Magnus Jonsson, Tobi Schneidler, Ingvar Sjöberg
An exhibition attempting to survey the invisible future, Smart Country has been created from a fusion of art, science and technology. The Stockholm SMART STUDIO / Interactive Institute focuses its activities on the experimental domains of design, architecture and new technology. The artists, designers, architects and engineers at the Studio work towards presenting those new achievements of science and technology that will most probably alter our broader and closer environment, as well as our personal relationships, making them more tangible through art.
The six installations on view challenge our pre-conceived notions of time and space, thought and matter, flux and immobility.
Brainball places the interaction between man and machine in a new perspective. Two players control the little ball on the table through their brainwaves oscillating between the states of calmness and stress. The aim of the game is to be calmer than your opponent, since those with brainwaves marking a more relaxed state will win, as these brain waves will make the ball roll towards the opponent’s goal. Instead of activity, the key to victory is calmness; instead of rational thinking, your emotional state controls the machine.
RemoteHome reflects on aspects of communication technology that may influence our personal relationships. The installation is comprised of two apartments located at a distance from one another. The sofas in them are connected via the internet. The sofa sags if the friend “living in” the other apartment sits on it, thus the two persons’ presence and activities become perceivable almost immediately, in real time. The light pods kinetically react to the movements of the distant friend.
Monochromeye is a device of vision placed on your finger. As you point at an object with the finger-holder on your finger, the device transmits the blurred contours of the object, with visual information reduced to the colours red, blue and green. The sight, which is thus reduced to its basic elements, forces the viewer to put aside all familiar guidelines of perception, to orient her/himself and move about in the space according to new forms
of perceptual information and interpretation.
The venturesome viewer may test these and all the other exhibited installations, to make new discoveries and have new experiences.

Opening: 4:30 pm, Tuesday, 19 October 2004
In the presence of HER ROYAL HIGHNESS CROWN PRINCESS VICTORIA OF SWEDEN,
Opening speech held by Mr. Leif PAGROTSKY, the Swedish Minister for Industry and Trade.

Smart Studio – Touching the Invisible
Exhibition, seminar, workshop, and an evening of performances
The Stockholm Smart Studio/Interactive Institute bases its research projects on the unity of art, science and technology. Members of the Studio work on interdisciplinary projects demonstrating the potential applications of various technologies, providing opportunities for public discussions related to fundamental issues pertaining to new media. An artistic perspective contributes to the work of designers, architects, fashion designers, information specialists and scientists, thus presenting scientific research in a spectacular and entertaining form.
Presentations and lectures by Smart Studio on Touching the Invisible
October 20: 10:00 am – 3 pm
Location: Ludwig Museum Budapest – Museum of Contemporary Art
Members of Smart Studio present the installations on view through interdisciplinary projects and developments that make the Studio’s activities unique.
Schedule of lectures and presentations:
10:00 – 10:45 am: INGVAR SJÖBERG (Studio director)
10:45 – 11:15 am: THOMAS BROOMÉ (artist)
11:30 – 12:00 am: ARIJANA KAJFES (artist)
01:15 – 01:45 pm: TOBI SCHNEIDLER (architect)
01:45 – 02:15 pm: MAGNUS JONSSON (engineer)
02:30 – 03:00 pm: Discussion

Smart Seminar Day
October 21: 10:00 am – 12:00 pm
Location: Millenaris Park, Reception Hall
Smart Studio’s one-day seminar includes workshops and discussions focussing on the fusion of technology, art and design. The workshop held by artists, architects and engineers present different applications of new technology, leaving scope for the discussion of critical viewpoints and remarks relating to new media.
10:00 am – 12:00 am Paranoid technology, remote presence. The function of technology in art
projects – a discussion.
01:30 pm – 05:00 pm Workshop 1 Practical workshop of how alternative technical solutions can be applied in art projects.

A discussion focussed on interdisciplinary development, starting from chaos and concluding in a concept – an example of realising ideas in interdisciplinary groups through a surrealistic and associative methodology.
Moderator: ÁDÁM SOMLAI-FISHER (architect)
Participants: THOMAS BROOMÉ (artist), ARIJANA KAJFES (artist), MAGNUS JONSSON (engineer), PABLO MIRANDA (architect), FREDRIK PETTERSSON (engineer), TOBI SCHNEIDLER (architect), ÁDÁM SOMLAI-FISCHER (architect), INGVAR SJÖBERG (artist)
For further information please visit www.smart.tii.se/smartseminar
6:30 pm – 12:00 pm: The workshop will be followed by Swedish and Hungarian sound artists and DJs performing
The lectures and workshops will be held in English, with Hungarian interpretation available.
Entry is free!
Organised in collaboration by the Ludwig Museum Budapest – Museum of Contemporary Art, the Millenaris Centre, and the Swedish Institute, under the auspices of the series of events, “Svédületes! – Swedish-Hungarian Meetings in 2004”.