Contemporary visual artist Urs Fischer invites viewers to participate and interact with his dynamic AI installation, which consists of nine dynamic office chairs on wheels dubbed PLAY. The chairs roam freely through the spacious, empty halls of the Tel Aviv Museum of Art, prompting viewers to get close and examine their unexpected behaviour. The installation uses human expectation as a tool, people observe or interact, and the chair, in turn, becomes a participant. When approaching these objects, the five-legged object reacts differently: one may move away and try to hide in a corner, another may accelerate to get closer to you, or simply freeze, completely ignoring your presence.
The chair has its own power supply and can move independently. Each is programmed using artificial intelligence algorithms to give them a human character or personality traits. They can be shy, friendly, outgoing, etc. Galleries are equipped with cameras and sensors that support the amazing and incredible interaction between people and life. View previous exhibitions of Fischer dance chairs in collaboration with New York choreographer Madeleine Hollander here. All photographs by Elad Sarig unless otherwise noted.
With this exhibition, the renowned artist seeks humorous answers to some of the obvious problems of our time. Highlights: What is the future of human relationships in an AI-driven world? Can inanimate objects have a personality? Are humans and machines interchangeable? Experimenting with different materials and scales, the intersection of sculpture, performance and dance – all this merged into a witty chorus – he responds with an ironic sense of humor.
These chairs have their own character, although at first glance they seem to behave predictably. Approach the same chair several times and it may react differently each time. He can greet you, counter. The next time, she may become shy and run away, trying to move away from the viewer. Subsequently, it can remain motionless without any interaction. In the absence of an answer, most people thought it might be broken. “If it takes a second to react to something, we already think it’s not working. Just like in our daily life. You ask a question, you don’t get an answer, you ask again, maybe the answer is more difficult, but you not listening,” Fisher shared in the video. Interact with nine colorful office chairs that move freely around the interior.
In addition to the dancing chairs, the exhibition features one of Fischer’s iconic candle-shaped sculptures. The sculpture depicts Fischer’s friend Francesco Bonami, who happens to be the curator. He stood awkwardly on the half-open refrigerator, staring at his phone. In this installation, the artist tries to depict a person in a relaxed pose. As the exhibition progresses, the near-life-size sculpture disappears as the lit wick burns and gradually melts his body. The gesture of the man staring at his phone is a sarcastic result, suggesting our growing dependence on the digital world. The eerie coexistence of man and refrigerator echoes the contrast of cold and heat, “the freshness of food in the refrigerator and the ephemeral nature of the melting human figure.”
In addition, you will find a set of eight mirrored boxes with images of everyday items such as calculators, ping-pong paddles, bubble levels and keys. These objects seem trite, functional, and interchangeable. With these oversized objects, Fischer aims to make their presence apparent and intrigue the viewer. If you insert a high-resolution photographic image into a mirror, it seems to disappear altogether. “He made the sculptures both surreal and intangible, making us all too aware of our perceptions.”
Post time: Aug-19-2022