Event #2 - Toni Dove

During this event, we were able to listen to a presentation by Toni Dove. “Toni Dove lives and works in New York. Since the early 1990s, she has produced unique and highly imaginative embodied hybrids of film, installation and performance. In her work, performers and participants interact with an unfolding narrative, using interface technologies such as motion sensing to “perform” on-screen avatars” (“Bio” @Bustlelamp). Dove is extremely innovative and is always one step ahead in terms of her work, not only is she an artist but she also constantly thinks about the crossover between theater and art installations with the use of technology. Most of her art deals with motion, she uses the human body as well as perception/proprioception to engage with the audience. Her ability to make and create interactive art allows her to create an active relationship between herself and the audience. 

One of the first installations Dove spoke and presented to us was The Lasso by Alejandro and Moira Sina. This installation was created in 1997 and is located in Butler Institute and uses materials like digital kinetic lightworks, electro neon tubes and microprocessor (“The Lasso”). This art piece has the neon tubes that spin around in circles and it provides different types of motion which can be perceived as an abstract pattern piece that provides different motion and sound. 

The second piece that Dove spoke about and presented to us was titled Lucid Possession. This piece was actually created by Dove herself. “Lucid Possession, a multimedia performance, premiered at Roulette in Brooklyn, and combines musicians, VJ mashing, and stage-controlled robotic projection screens to present a contemporary ghost story - a poetic musing on managing the mass of information” (@BUSTLELAMP). The main character is an extremely young artist who creates virtual reality that is haunted by ghosts. What is crazy about this is the fact that Dove created a sketch and constructed the robot itself. It utilizes LEDs to create the structure of the robots, which is extremely innovative. “The result is a complex three-dimensional, automated video pop-up book in which the characters - real and virtual - are brought to life through motion, voice, and robotic technology, and the boundaries of the real and virtual are blurred, mirroring our rapidly-changing emotional and cognitive landscape” (“Toni Dove’s Lucid Possession”).  It is extremely fascinating how Dove is able to bring virtual characters to life through the use of motion and robotics. It is extremely innovative how Dove is able to create art with the use of technology, motion, voice and robotics. Initially, when someone thinks of “art,” they may think of paintings and or drawings, however, Dove has invented and created a different type of art in which she uses motion, lights and so on to create a magnificent piece of art. 

 

In addition to The Lasso and Lucid Possession pieces, Dove also spoke about a piece by Fabian Sanchez. This piece was created in 1985 and is titled Petit Homme. It utilizes materials like light, sound, stainless steel and is also located in Butler Institute. This installation created by Fabian Sanchez is a robot that has the ability of being controlled and moved. Much like Toni Dove's Lucid Possession, Sanchez was able to animate an inanimate object with the use of technology and robotics. Pictured below are a few images of Sanchez's piece, Petit Homme

 

All in all, I thoroughly enjoyed Toni Dove's presentation that involved and encompassed the different types of art pieces by herself and other artists, as well. My favorite installation was Lucid Possession. This was my favorite art installation simply because it is extremely innovative and encompasses technology, robotics and art. It was wonderful listening to Toni Dove's presentation and I cannot wait to learn more about her other types of art/other installations! 

Works Cited: 

“@BUSTLELAMP.” Toni Dove Lucid Possession Category, https://tonidove.com/category/lucid-possession/.

 
“Bio.” @Bustlelamp | Tonidove.com, https://tonidove.com/bio/.
 
“The Lasso.” David Bermant Foundation, 27 Nov. 2021, https://davidbermantfoundation.org/project/the-lasso/?portfolioCats=30%2C39.

 

“Petit Homme.” David Bermant Foundation, 27 Nov. 2021, https://davidbermantfoundation.org/project/petit-homme/?portfolioCats=30%2C39.
 
 
“Toni Dove's Lucid Possession.” Roulette, https://roulette.org/event/toni-dove-lucid-possession-3/.