#softmachines

[catsynth-express]

CatSynth Pic: Softmachines (Synth Pillows)

A cat contemplates a sofa full of synth pillows by softmachines.  We can only imagine what happens next 😸

Softmachines makes pillows and cushions based on classic electronic musical instruments.  For more, visit their shop.  These are so cute, we need one at HQ.

CatSynth Pic: Softmachines (Synth Pillows) was originally published on CatSynth

[kthrnnnz]

“Soft Machines” Thread, Starch, Varnish 10 x 4 x 4.5 in. (Clothes Iron);  17 x 14 x 19 in. (Fan); 8.5 x 6 x 2 in. (Phone)  2014

Shown in Manila, Philippines for the exhibition “Objection”

In Soft Machines, the artist created crocheted sculptures of technological inventions that were created and developed to aid us with the demands and complexity of modern living. Substituting the process of industrial production with the slow, meditative process of crochet, the objects are rendered useless. The works question the role of craft and creation (and by extension, the creator and the consumers) in an age where societies thrive for speed and efficiency.

[wewantcinema-blog]

SOFT MACHINES @Impakt festival 2014

Soft Machines 2014

Wednesday evening on the 29th of October, the 25th edition of the Impakt Festival opened. We Want Cinema was there to marvel, not only, at the intriguing and stimulating exhibition at Fotodok, but also the festive opening and keynote speech of Bruce Sterling at Theatre Kikker.

Luckily enough, a couple of days before the festival started, Arjon Dunnewind, festival founder and director, sat down with me to shortly but concisely go through not only the history of Impakt but also that of video art.  

A Festival is Born

  The spark that started the Impakt festival can be traced back to Arjon’s passion for cinema that he cultivated throughout his years at the Utrecht Academy of Arts where he studied film. Arjon says “When I was at the Art Academy in Utrecht, I tried to find a way to see as much experimental filmmaking as possible”. He started working at Ekko, where they had a broad programme that also included a film club. Ekko approached Arjon to organize a festival that involved various art forms - “That, combined with my personal need to learn more about video art, experimental filmmaking, experimental music, urged me to start the Impakt Festival”. 

Capitalism Catch-22 2013, Yourspace 2008, The Right To Know 2011

Changing trends

When the Impakt festival started, film and the fine arts were two very separate worlds. "The big change came at the end of the 80s and during the 90s where video invaded the art world", Arjon explains.  Technical advancements meant that a video camera was a cheap and accessible way to record images. Video became not only a mainstream technology but also the means for many filmmakers to express themselves. 

  There is one thing, however that cannot be changed. It is the differences between the perceptual experience of  film and installation. Film develops in time whereas the video installation has a fragmented way of dealing with time – “many video installations have a very platful way of communicating with the audience”.

Ultimately, Arjon considers himself lucky, because “combining  these kinds of media techniques and ways of thinking in one festival makes us forerunners and we received a lot of positive response on that”.

Soft Machines

Soft Machines catalogue 2014

The clever wordplay accompanying this years Soft Machines title is meant to inspire debate and discussions about various topics relating to the relationship between human and machine. Does Siri have artificial empathy? Does she really care about us? What does it mean to be an optimized human?

Arjon explains “Soft Machines is not only about how technology is changing and developing empathetical qualities but also we ourselves have different expectations, developing different standards to what we find normal in our exchange with technology. People have an emotional relationship with their computer”. Most recently illustrated by Spike Jonze's Oscar winning film Her, humans  have a seemingly growing intimacy with their machines. 

Soft Machines is curated by a group of four young curators from the US. Impakt has worked with curators since 2009 and Arjon finds it an ideal way of bringing fresh and interesting ideas to the fore. This year's  programme turned out to be great because it has quality on all levels: a comprehensive film selection, strong exhibition and important speakers from the sciences. "All in all, it is a very intelligent approach to the Soft Machines theme".

The curators A.E. Benenson, Ken Farmer, Noah Hutton and Dr. Leah Kelly at the Impakt Festival opening @ Theatre Kikker in Utrecht.

Panorama Event Nights

  “The Panorama programme allows us to show, basically, whatever we like” says Arjon. This year there are 3 Panorama Event Nights during the festival where the works of filmmakers from all over the world are showcased. This part of the programme is separate from the thematic part, Arjon explains, because “having a main thematical theme excludes a lot of the good stuff".

Panorama is a magnificent array of all kinds of projects – some have a more personal and psychological way of dealing with film, others respond to issues in society that are important, issues that are part of our visual culture. With titles such as Memorizing Morals, Erotic Friction and Into the Surface, there is something for every intelligent, albeit not yet optimized, human being. 

Arjon does not have a definite idea of what the theme for next year’s festival will be, but what he knows is that he would like to see Matthew Barney’s Cremaster 5 in the cinema again. We at We Want Cinema would gladly organize this event for him!

Check out www.impakt.nl for more info and tickets! Here is the schedule for the festival.

Text and photo by Petra Albu

Photos from impakt.nl