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Echoes of Futurism

mtursan — Thu, 10 Apr 2008 06:22:13 +0000

Open Sound: Audio Art Installations January – December 2008

Open Sound is a new program developed by the Surrey Art Gallery that intends to support the production and presentation of audio artforms as part of contemporary art practice. The inaugural Open Sound exhibition consists of a series of commissioned audio art projects by Jean Routier, Brady Marks, David Grove, and Eric Powell, installed in and around the Surrey Arts Centre facility.Visitors are able to walk about the gallery and pick up the broadcast of these transmitted artworks using headphones, both inside and outside of the building as well as look at the machines that create, or listen to sound. This very interesting work I find is comparable to the work of Luigi Russolo’s The Intonarumori (noise intoners) where a similar yet less advanced equipment is used to create a symphonic sound using multiple machines creating sound on their own. The Intonarumori (noise intoners) were a family musical instruments invented in 1913 by Italian Futurist Luigi Russolo. They were devices for producing a broad spectrum of modulated, rhythmic sounds similar to those made by machines, but without imitating or reproducing them. Unfortunately, none of the original intonarumori survived World War II. Even though we are as “arrogant” in our days to render futurism irrelevant, the open Sound work pulls one into a simpler, more ambitious and revolutionary time, where realizing that we were meant for more than what we had, and had the idealism to look at the world in a much more opportunistic way. Surrealist as though it might have been, futurism gave room for hope and advancement, not only as technologically yet, as a society. To rewrite social norms and not be discouraged by the repeating history. Perhaps it is fact and prejudice that killed futurism or it just lived out it’s life span yet, recalling Luigi Russolo’s work reminds me that we should have never stopped dreaming of Skyscrapers integrated with A.I. or flying cars, and people who wear silver jumpsuits and use no form of currency and don’t know the meaning of war. futurism was more than a dream of one day, advancing, but recreating and rewriting all rules that make up the society. In this way, I found the work very approachable.

Bible Belt vs. HSAICS: Homo Sapien with Advanced Integrated Communication Systems

mtursan — Mon, 04 Feb 2008 07:16:46 +0000

DING! DING! DING! And It’s on ladies and gentlemen!

Believe me when I say, the future is now. The cover of this month’s Wired features “cybernetics pioneer” Professor Kevin Warwick explaining how he is pushing the boundaries of science and humanity by turning himself into a cyborg — part man, part machine. A small implant into his arm will allow for his computer to turn on in the morning as as he walks into the office and pull up his e-mail, paving the way for a future where humans and machines are inexorably linked.

However, in a world where religious groups bombing abortion clinics and prohibiting tattooing by law, are we ready to “be one” with technology?

The majority of the people living below the Bible belt have a funny way of wanting to destroy stuff that hasn’t existed for centuries or isn’t sent from above by the almighty.

Lets take divorce for example; did you know that until 1997 divorce was an unlawful action in the nation of Ireland. Now the Catholic Church of Ireland is pushing to reinstate the divorce ban because marriages lasting over 20 to 30 years or more has plummeted down to %50 percent in the U.S. and is lower in Europe. And Catholics think if you simply force people to live together, they’ll be happy? Of course not that doesn’t make sense and I’m pretty sure they know that too. The pastors and monks of the Irish Catholic community are just looking out for their people. By keeping them from the fiery gates of hell that is. So yeah, the ones who believe earth is 6000 years old have never been a fan of new things….

Since the obvious is out of the way.

There is this thing called EyeTap invented by a fellow who is a tenured professor at the University of Toronto. His name is Steve Mann, and he claims that his invention will change the way we record memories. It’s a microscopic camera that can be warn as a pear of glasses or be attached onto a pear that can record whatever a person sees. The EyeTap can also be used as a heads up display, which can be attached to any standard MP3/MP4 player or wearable computer.

Now imagine, in 10 to 20 years EyeTap will be small enough to be placed inside of the eye cornea. and the wearable computer will be integrated in to the abdomen, right in between C5 and C8 and can draw its energy supply from the neuron transactions going up and down the spine. So aside from it’s communicative and informative advantages it will also give us a reason to move our lower bodies, and that sure can’t help obesity.

But how will the Bible belt respond to these marginal changes. Both the Koran and the Bible, clearly states that a persons physical body is the property of God. So any augmentations to the human body would be considered, immoral. It’s no secret, the religious circles do consider themselves as the protectors of morality and marginality is usually not affiliated with morality according to these circles. Remember what happened when they were told they used to be monkeys?

Will the world accept such severe modifications and augmentations to the human body as micro chip transmitters in forearms to eliminate on paper identification, GPS diodes in cranial cavities so parents can track their children anywhere?

I say no chance in hell in the next 4 decades…

I’m rooting for Obama….

mtursan — Thu, 10 Jan 2008 19:00:13 +0000

I’m just American on paper, I don’t even know who the Beach Boy’s are, but what goes on down south effects the economy world wide, so registered voters listen up….

It’s either Clinton or Obama right? I don’t like the idea of voting for a woman who when convenient, becomes a small town girl, or jumps into a persona of a competent and educated stateswoman, and when required, is African American. The point is, if indeed a person, jumps from personality to personality, to relate(?) to the groups in the society rather than entrusting that their own views will provide adequately for the good of all, should we really be considering them for presidency? As King George once said, (George W. that is) we need a decider. Not a people pleaser. Oh, sure, the decider decided to blow up a country which %65 of American’s even today can’t spot on the map. But the point stands. And for all hells sake, do not vote for Gulliani, just trust me on this, do NOT vote for Gulliani…..Thank you…