Light of Extinction

Presented for thingworld: International Triennial of New Media Art, National Museum of China ', Light of Extinction presents a diverse series of views into the complex antics of a semi-autonomous gaggle of robotic actants. Audiences initially enter into the 'backend' of the experience to be rudely confronted with the raw, messy operations of a horde of object-manipulating forms. Seen through viewing apertures these ‘things’ deny any opportunity to grasp their imagined order. Audiences then flow on into the 'front end' of the work where now, seen through another aperture, the very same forms seemingly coordinate a stunning deep-field choreography, floating lusciously within inky landscapes of media, noise and embodied sound.

As one series of conceptions slip into extinction, so others flow on in. The idea of the 'extinction of human experience' expresses a projected fear for that which will disappear when biodiverse worlds have descended into an era of permanent darkness. ‘Light Of Extinction' re-positions this anthropomorphic lament in order to suggest a more rounded acknowledgement of what might still remain - suggesting the previously unacknowledged power and place of autonomous, synthetic creation. Momentary disbelief gives way to a relieving celebration of the imagined birth of ‘things’ – without need for staples such as conventional light or the harmonious lullabies of long-extinguished sounds.  

SHOWINGS:
V01: | Light of Extinction, thingworld: International Triennial of New Media Art, National Art Museum of China, June 11th - July 9th, 2014.

TEAM:
Keith Armstrong (Artistic director), Lawrence English (Co-Director), Michael Candy (Robotics/Rapid Prototyping Designer), Luke Lickfold (MaxMSP Design) and Clinton Freeman (Software Design)

PARTNERS:
 Australia Council For The Arts, Arts Queensland, QUT Creative Industries, MAAP. This project has been assisted by the Australian Government through the Australia Council, its arts funding and advisory body. Keith Armstrong is supported by the Queensland Government through Arts Queensland, part of the Department of Science, Information Technology, Innovation and the Arts’ and QUT Creative Industries.

MORE:
This work built off Night Rage for ISEA 2013 'Synapse-A Selection' and Night Fall for the Queensland Museum.