16.12.09
David
Dusted do Decode
As part of the Dusted Christmas celebrations yesterday, we all took a trip out to the V&A to see the new digital art exhibition, Decode: Digital Design Sensations. The exhibition showcases the latest developments in digital and interactive design, from small, screen-based, graphics to large-scale interactive installations. It features both existing works and new commissions by established international artists who explore three themes: code, interactivity and network.
Code presents pieces that use computer code to create new works and looks at how code can be programmed to create constantly fluid and ever-changing works. Interactivity looks at works that are directly influenced by the viewer. Network focuses on works that comment on and utilise the digital traces left behind by everyday communications and looks at how advanced technologies and the Internet have enabled new types of social interaction and mediums of self-expression.
Not surprisingly, work within the interactive theme is what we had most fun with; especially Ross Phillips’ piece Videogrid, which allows users to record short videos that are broadcast in grids on a large screen, looping repeatedly until someone else records over them. The effect is of an evolving set of repeating patterns.
Decode is on at the V&A’s Porter Gallery until April and we’d highly recommend it. If you’ve time and fancy getting your hands dirty with some code of your own, take a look at Recode by Karsten Schmidt – an open source piece for the exhibition’s microsite which invites you to ‘hack’ to create your own unique version.
