Aurelia 1+Hz / proto viva generator

Aurelia 1+Hz / proto viva generator

interactive installation (live moon jellyfish), 2014

[slovenski tekst ⇊⇊]

Project ‘Aurelia 1+Hz / proto viva generator’ addresses the possibilities of coexistence of animals and machines. In contrast to robots, which are driven by digital artificial intelligence, the project uses a live organism to process the “aliveness” of a simple machine.

photo by Hana Jošić

The Aurelia 1+Hz project is divided in two parts; the performance proto viva sonification looks into a new critical redefinition of social values and new attitude towards cohabitation of interspecies while the installation proto viva generator deals with the biopolicy of prolonging life.

Aurelia 1+Hz/proto viva generator (interactive installation 2014) addresses the possibilities of coexistence of humans, animals and machines. The project uses living organisms to process “aliveness” of a simple robotic machine.
The installation addresses two entities – jellyfish and robot – separated, but if they merged into one, causing new biocybernetic organism to occur: Would “it” be able to live forever?

In the era of the Sixth Extinction of species, after pulsating through the world’s seas and oceans for over 500 million years without ever being endangered, the jellyfish are the perfect evolutional archive, showing us potential moves the future might make. The eternity of the jellyfish – some are even immortal as a species – has been fueling even the most ancient human thoughts on eternal life, on the mythical search for the fountain of youth and on immortality.

Improved living conditions in a technologically advanced world enable us to lead a significantly longer life than in the past. But how long is long enough? The answer to this question appears to be in the hands of the cosmetic and pharmaceutical industries, which use the powers of biopolitics and capital to divide our society into those who are able to prolong their life, and into those who are merely trying to survive. The historical tactics of civilizations trying to ensure their cultural immortality are today contrasted by the biotechnological possibilities of actually designing and controlling life, demanding a new, critical redefinition of social values.

Living organism

Jellyfish used in frames of the project are from the species of Aurelia Aurita or moon jellyfish. It is the most common jellyfish that is to be found in all seas and oceans and, at the same time, modular organism in the laboratories for jellyfish research.

Aquariums & maintainers of living organisms

The aquariums that are used in frames of the project are developed by Cubic Aquarium Systems and are built in a way that enables these organisms to have the best possible experience in closed habitat.

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video about the concept and reaserch of the project Aurelia 1+Hz 

The Aurelia 1+Hz project is divided in two parts; the performance proto viva sonification looks into a new critical redefinition of social values and new attitude towards cohabitation of interspecies while the installation proto viva generator deals with the biopolicy of prolonging life.

Aurelia 1+Hz / proto viva sonification is an interactive performance that explores the phenomena of interspecies’ communication. It features live transmitted sound generated by Aurelia Aurita jellyfish and performer. Sound loops containing recordings of jellyfish in closed environment and prerecorded sonic experiments from the sea are mixed in generative score which is assembled into immersive sonic and visual experience.

Aurelia 1+Hz / proto viva generator is an installation that addresses the possibilities of coexistence of humans, animals and machines. The project uses living organisms to process “aliveness” of a simple robotic machine. The installation addresses two entities – jellyfish and robot – separated, but if they merged into one, causing new biocybernetic organism to occur, would they be able to live eternal life?

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Photos of Aurelia 1+Hz / proto viva generator at Gallery Kapelica:

photos by Miha Fras

Interview about the project with Jurij Krpan, curator and art director of Gallery Kapelica:

press:

Neural:

http://neural.it/2015/11/aurelia-1hz-proto-viva-generator/

‘Aurelia 1+Hz / proto viva generator’ on Slovenian national TV:

http://4d.rtvslo.si/arhiv/prispevki-in-izjave-kultura/174302560

‘Aurelia 1+Hz / proto viva generator’ on Studio City an show of Slovenian national TV @ 37’30”:

http://4d.rtvslo.si/arhiv/studio-city/174302544 

photo by Miha Fras

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Evening talk about stem cell technology, regenerative medicine & physical immortality at Gallery Kapelica

with Robertina Šebjanič, ‘Aurelia 1+Hz’ project author and guests:

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V času šestega izumiranja vrst so meduze, ki pulzirajo v svetovnih morjih in oceanih že preko 650 milijonov let, ne da bi bile pri tem ogrožene, evolucijski arhiv, ki nam pomenljivo nakazuje poteze prihodnosti. V projektu ‘Aurelia 1+Hz’ z zajemanjem in analizo pulziranja množice meduz (uhati klobučnjak) signale pretvarjamo v pulziranje enega mehanskega objekta. Odvisnost stroja od živega organizma postavlja arhetipsko napetost med živim in neživim in s tem poetično primerjavo med enostavno življenjsko obliko, ki poganja – oživlja – kompliciran stroj.
Biološke oblike življenja so omejene s preživetvenimi taktikami in z življensko dobo, ki jih biološke, medicinske in inženirske inovacije še niso popolnoma preučile. Dejstvo, da so meduze večne (nekatere kot vrsta, nekatere pa kot posameznice tudi nesmrtne), poganja že staro željo po večnem življenju, mitskemu iskanju vrelca mladosti in nesmrtnosti. Boljši življenski pogoji ljudi, ki živijo v tehnološko razvitem svetu, omogočajo daljše življenje. Toda, kako dolgo je dovolj dolgo? Na tej dilemi raste farmacevtska in industrija kozmetike, vendar pritisk biopolitik deli družbo na tiste, ki si svoje življenje lahko podaljšujejo in tiste, ki skušajo zgolj preživeti. Zgodovinske taktike civilizacije, ki si s pomočjo kulture ustvarja simbolno nesmrtnost, danes kontrastirajo biotehnološke možnosti dejanskega nadzorovanja in oblikovanja živosti.
V projektu ‘Aurelia 1+Hz’ v tradiciji taktičnih medijev preverjamo možnosti sobivanja živali in strojev, t.j. ustvarjanja preprostih oblik umetnega življenja, ki v nasprotju z roboti, ki jih poganja digitalna umetna inteligenca, uporabljamo živ organizem za procesiranje živosti preprostega stroja.

Koncept in izvedba: Robertina Šebjanič
Svetovanje in oblikovanje programskega okolja: Slavko Glamočanin
Svetovanje in izvedba mehanskega dela: Miha Presker
Svetovanje in oskrba biološkega dela: Kristijan Tkalec
Svetovanje: prof. dr. Alenka Malej, Morska biološka postaja Piran, Slovenija

Zahvala: dr. Eva Ogorevc, Andrej Strehovec, Tilen Sepič, Maja Smrekar, dr. Mojca Jež, Valter Majnik (Akvarij M) in skupini Deep blue (v okviru  trienala sodobne umetnosti PORTIZMIR3, Izmir, Turčija)

Produkcija: Zavod Praksa
Koprodukcija: Galerija Kapelica

Projekt podpirata: Ministrstvo za kulturo RS in Mestna občina Ljubljana – Oddelek za kulturo