Dark Star preview @Kinetica Art Fair (London, UK)

Feb 9-12, Kinetica Art Fair at Ambika P3, London, Uk

After two successful exhibitions at London’s ICA and co-curating SonicMaze exhibiton at Netaudio Festival in Roundhouse, Slovenian media artist Martin Bricelj Baraga returns with preview of his new collaborative project at Kinetica.

Kinetica will feature an exclusive preview of DarkStar, an innovative immersive installation currently in the final stages of development. Video footage of the project will be on display and project initiator Martin Bricelj Baraga will be present.

What is Darkstar?

DarkStar is a developing interactive sculpture for public space that generates an audiovisual interpretation of its direct and indirect surroundings. The installation reacts to the space it is situated in and the people around it but also to the movements of the stars.

DarkStar is intended to be an interactive monument for the contemporary citizen and the contemporary city. Rather than celebrating a significant historical landmark or a person, it is devoted to the universe and the passage of time. The monument is best seen at night, when it reflects lunar phases and the surface of the starry sky. Responding to movement in its vicinity, it also generates a sound scape.

Monument to Time

Unlike ‘traditional’ monuments, DarkStar does not pay tribute to historic figures (politicians, soldiers, religious leaders, etc). Instead, DarkStar is an organism that pays homage to the city, space and time.

Reflecting Moon – Public ClocK

The illuminated part of the monument rotates in a full circle every minute. This means that DarkStar functions as a clock that only counts minutes and so marks the ever faster passage of time. The installation is a huge dome that reflects moon phases. The size of the illuminated section of the moon is transferred into the illuminated part of the Star which reflects the movements of the people within the space.

About the author:

Martin Bricelj Baraga is a media artist and freelance curator.
His interactive works, audiovisual performances and collaborative work research the relation between man and machine, social aspects of contemporary pop culture, future monumentalism and political dimensions of our mediated realities.

He has exhibited in many galleries and spaces worldwide: ICA in London, Sonar in Barcelona, Columbia University in New York, Centro cultural Recoleta in Buenos Aires, Kunsthaus Graz, Kaapelithas in Helsinki, Museums Quartier in Vienna and many others. His work has been reviewed and published by BoingBoing, Pecha Kucha, the New York Art magazine, Harper Collins, El Pais, Actar, Mladina and others.

www.martinbricelj.com

Prototype team:
Martin Bricelj Baraga: Concept, Design
Natasa Mrkonjic: Architect
Carolien Teunisse: Videomapping
Mat Kispert: Sound Design

DarkStar Project website:
www.darkstar2012.com

Dates:
Kinetica ArtFair runs from Thursday 9th February to Sunday 12th February.
Daily from 10am-8pm (Sunday closes at 6pm)

Tickets:
Tickets for any day can be purchased with a 20% discount on the standard price by using a the promo code “senses” via Ticketweb.