fromCONCENTRATE » liverpool

Hackday Video

John_0 — Wed, 11 Aug 2010 15:28:05 +0000

Video of Hacks and Hackers Hackday (with obligatory futuristic synth music) from Scraper Wiki website.

(Video produced by The Hatch on behalf of Open Labs)

PENUMBRA

John_0 — Thu, 15 Jul 2010 09:31:10 +0000

For those who didn’t see it, my lecture/performance ‘PENUMBRA’ from last month is archived here:

Performance, sketch and demonstration of concept – interpreting and re-presenting law using the construct of traditional theatrical lighting.

Originally performed as part of ‘REVOLUTIONS IN FORM’ @ The Bluecoat Art Centre, Liverpool on Friday 18th June 2010.

lovingly documented by: Sam Meech

Thanks to Nathan Jones, Bluecoat poet in residence, for the invitation.

Comfort Zone

John_0 — Wed, 30 Jun 2010 18:53:06 +0000

My recent performance work – PENUMBRA – involves the use of traditional theatrical lighting to project a special ‘zone’ onto the stage – the lighted area is described as a “NO ZONE.” Outside of the “NO ZONE” something is permitted. And inside the “NO ZONE” that same something is prohibited.

The work attempts to mix-up roles which are usually kept separate – that of ‘on-stage’ actor/performer and ‘behind-the-scenes’ director/technician.

Since I am both performer and lighting-operator I can direct the powerful beam wherever I want (even into the faces of the audience) and, within the construct of the performance, the “NO ZONE” is imposed wherever the light falls.

A member of the Liverpool audience suggested that the space described is in fact a “NO COMFORT ZONE” and this seems very fitting!

(images – stills from video documentation by Sam Meech)

Tangible Data

John_0 — Mon, 29 Mar 2010 16:23:02 +0000

Of course – another strategy for making information/data and concepts more ‘tangible’ or ‘graspable’ when exhibiting in the public realm, is to re-present the information using a ‘loaded’ material, (as this example from a Liverpool Museum demonstrates…)

MSG=MED

John_0 — Thu, 18 Jun 2009 18:19:06 +0000

Abandon Normal Devices commissioned me to conduct an experiment at FACT this week, based on my “Message equals Medium” photographic archive of text messages. The result was a subtle intervention into the Btween09 “bells and whistles” new-tech / social-media / business conference.

The idea was, that the work should stimulate discussion around the ‘human-face’ of technology and act as a trailblazer for September’s inaugural ANDfestival in Liverpool.

Inadvertently :-) the work was actually interpreted as a REAL WORLD model for a NEW TECH business – uh-oh! (see vid below…)

“Co-operation…

John_0 — Sat, 09 May 2009 17:08:43 +0000

…and power and co-ersion and compliance”

- Presentation within FACT’s “Climate for Change” Un-Conference. The presentation can be watched in full at on FACT TV

Question: “Who is happy with the fact that their Police Force is operating in a subversive way with “Special Powers?”
(image credit: Andy Miah )