where phantoms meet comprised of two sizeable and meticulously lifelike boulders placed within the gallery, what at first looked quite simple began to take on more significance as one realized that the rocks were, in fact, moving and in the process of executing a choreographed dialogue. Housed within each boulder was an omnidirectional robotic platform providing the ability to pivot or move in any direction required.
The boulders took turns responding to one another’s actions. One raised to slightly hover, pivoted, moved sideways then forward before gently returning to the floor. Following a contemplative pause, the second rock lifted itself from the floor and responded in kind. The slow and silent exchange between boulders choreographed specifically for the Alternator exhibition, continued on throughout the day. The serene pace is periodically interrupted by a more sudden, albeit extremely short-lived burst of movement. These spastic actions break away from the set rhythm as if a stumble or misstep within the preordained order.
There is an inherent level of absurdity where two boulders are locked within a lengthy slow dance. However, within a culture in which one finds wood grain pressed into the surface of plastic lumber, plastic birds twitch while sputtering out an electric song, and rubber ‘wood-chips’ are available in a wide assortment of colours, it finds itself in familiar company. The project followed a sustained and evolving exploration within Hengeveld’s art practice that focused on the intricate and increasingly disconnected relationship we have with the natural world. Yet it moves beyond to explore the complex dialogue that can occur between two animated objects however simple they may be. As we witness the back-and-forth exchange between boulders we inevitably begin to anthropomorphize the objects.
In addition to this exhibition, a satellite event called Still Looking took place in collaboration with Kettle River Brewing. Messages texted to a specific number would be repeated back to patrons in Morse code via a chandelier hanging from the brewery ceiling.
Robert Hengeveld is an artist living and working in Newfoundland. His creative practice manifests itself in many different forms, but exploring and experimenting with how we perceive and preconceive the world around us would be one way to summarize a given direction in the past several years. The means through which this has been achieved is quite diverse ranging from autonomous robotics to the reworking of salvaged materials. Projects often emerge through collaborative investigation, incorporating the expertise and insight of engineers, musicians, choreographers, poets, community members, and other artists.
Hengeveld’s work has been exhibited across Canada and internationally. Past exhibitions include Bonavista Biennale (Bonavista, NL), Hallwalls Contemporary Arts Center (Buffalo US), Art Athina (Athens, GC), The Power Plant (Toronto, ON), Mercer Union (Toronto, ON), Mulherin New York (NYC, US), Opinion Makers (London UK), and Latvian National Museum of Art (Riga, LV).
For more information on Hengeveld and his work, visit his website.
where phantoms meet // Interpretive essay by Emma Richards
The initial sight is perplexing: where phantoms meet consists of two substantial and authentic looking boulders that perform a carefully choreographed sequence of movements around the gallery space, responding to the movements and actions of its counterpart. Programmed to “dance” carefully around each other, the boulders (Ike and Obelix) are masterminded on top of mechanics that allow them the fluidity and elegance similar to that of carefully crafted dancing partners.
The mechanics that the boulders are crafted upon are designed to allow for movements that are both extended and momentary, as well as curved and straight. The authenticity of the exterior in tandem with the gentle hum of their engines provoked me to reimagine the significant relationship between technology and the natural world.
Is there anything that is sacred within nature anymore?
where phantoms meet presents a dilemma to its audience. We inhabit a world that is rich with nature and life, but our inventions and technology have continuously ingrained itself within our society. Whether it be positive or negative, that’s for the audience to decide.
One may perceive the exhibition to display a loss of the natural world with technology overwhelming our world, but alternatively technology has developed to allow for our species to sustain on our planet for so long. Humans were not imperative to the establishment of the natural world, but we have always been a necessity for the development of technology.
We are surrounded by the natural world, and yet we have become dependent on technology to sustain and survive. This has led to a 21st century development on the definition of what is natural which is greatly different than 100 years ago, when technology wasn’t nearly as integrated into our lives as it now. The idea of what is natural can be symbiotic to our personal understanding of what is art, and the value that each is subjective. We conceive an idea of what is considered natural as an interpretation by each individual.
As an individual born in the nineties, my idea of technology coupled with nature is inherent and immanent. Nature and technology has developed into a mutually beneficial relationship; they are reliant on one another to sustain in our current world.
The idea of what is natural has gradually shifted from a literal explanation to a spectrum of different understandings in relationship to a progressively more technological society. A discussion emerges in the exhibit that focuses not only on the importance of modern technology within nature and the discourse between the two, but also on the value in which they hold together.