“High technologies in art and design open up new perspectives.” by Coralie Retureau
“Together with hearing and sight, smell, touch and taste give us the basic capacity to observe and understand the world around us. What does an increasingly technological world mean for our senses? »
Of course, it means a lot. If technologies and screens are usually disconnected from our body senses, since a couple of years, high technologies in art and design open up new perspectives.
The STRP preparation Biënnale started with a conference by the versatile director Kris Verdonck. His work, based on drama experimentations with dancing machines and lights, questions our intimate relationship with robots and machines. “How much time do you spend in front of your computer ? » : indeed, if we think about it, we have to reconsider our unfriendly preconception of devices. The exhibition offers an attractive overview of what could be the next STRP Biënnale. In a society fixed in hearing and sight, Polymorf dutch creative agency give us the opportunity to rediscover our smell and taste senses. Through sounds and odors in an isolation chamber, you can experience the final hours of Muammar Gaddafi, Lady Diana or JFK. As well, the Black Box of Christoph de Boeck makes people feel vibes around them, like a mysterious, but not less futuristic body extension. And it works. The day was also dedicated to workshops, performances and meetings to make people think, talk and react about the topic of the future Biënnale. For the next STRP Biënnale, we can expect a « sens-ationnal » discovery of sensory technologies and exciting meetings with contemporary artists and designers.