

Update from Germany No. 3
Michael Rodemer is spending much of the Summer of 2011 doing a collaborative art project in Berlin with Berlin artist (and former A&D Witt Resident) Franz John as part of Über-Lebenskunst, a symposium devoted to exploring sustainability, sponsored by the House of World Cultures and the Federal Cultural Foundation.
The “Finissage” was this weekend, pretty good turnout. Peter and I got a couple more sculptures done beforehand, and cleaned the gallery, reducing all the visual clutter, scrubbing footprints off the floor, vacuuming tangerine peels out from behind the space heater, etc. The place was immaculate.
We made a two-part interactive sculpture using motors, two light sensors, and two microcontrollers; the idea was that there are two rotatable bridge-like parts – users can manipulate them via the sensors – sometimes, in just the right moment, the two spans line up and form the arc of a bridge structure. Opportunity knocks. Or it doesn’t.
The right moment
For the next image composite, either turn your computer 90 degrees, or your head, whichever is easier. The piece is by Peter J. M. Schneider, and bears the title “A difficult discussion.”
Bridge to somewhere
The political echo of this title was lost on the German audience, but it still worked for them on other levels.
I really like these little model railroad figures; it is tempting to try to make some using rapid prototyping.
Almost there
Ponton bon ton, en principe...
We had fun making this dada-esque pontoon bridge in the wine glasses.
Sometimes a problem...
The Aachen show is done, as is the semester in Siegen at the University. I’ll show some images of the students’ projects next time.
MR, Bonn
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