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TAKELSD

2018

Red Cedar, 16G, 18G Metal Sheets, 13ft Zinc-Plated Chain, Transducer, Microcontroller, 3ft LED Strip, Ultrasonic Rangefinder, breadboard, SD Card, and AC power.

MC 619

Introduction

Inspired by the altarpieces from the northern Renaissance, which represent the religious subject behind the alter of Christian church, the installation will intend to create a ritual atmosphere for the sacrifice. It seeks attention from the audience in the distance using light and distracting digital sound. As the audience comes closer to the object, the sound gets distorted and converted into a high frequency to shift the attention to the context of the object which aims to transcend its original cultural frame.

Research

My research has focused on the history and philosophy of the Renaissance in Western Europe. For further research on this subject, I am going to investigate the history of shamanism and totemism in various cultures which extensively use the symbols which serve minds of participants, and explore how art can incorporate aesthetically with the function of ritual ceremonies. I aim to approach this subject with Jungian psychology on unconscious mind and archetypes.

Objectives

The objective of this installation is to bring up an insightful dialogue about Lysergic acid Diethylamide (LSD). Time has been a big inspiration to me in my previous project about childhood amnesia: the forgotten memories of experiencing time in childhood. The anthropocentric concepts about time limit the boundary of our understanding in nature. In result, we limit the possibility to shape the infinite degrees of our identities. By weakening the persistent power of ego, one can experience spiritual freedom and possibly understand the uncanny nature of time by confronting the timelessness. In that sense, the action of taking LSD becomes a form of self-sacrifice for the higher state of mind. Like Renaissance altarpieces, I intend to create a symbolic representation of this sacrificial action. 

Experience

The terms, TAKE, and LSD on the other side, plays different role. When the audience is around the installation site within the specific range of ultrasonic (depends on the size of room MC 619), the LED turns on and illuminates the term TAKE, while LSD on the other side is not yet discovered. Simultaneously the object plays a fake phone call and vibration to immediately draw the direction of the attention towards itself in a dark room. The term TAKE demands the audience such a helpless

action towards the fake and petty data which persistently distracts our attention, and even shapes our perception which reflects the modern society. As the audience walks closer to the object, a certain high frequency slowly overwhelms while the sound of fake phonecall fades out. The audience finds out what is indicated on the other side, LSD, which aims to raise the curiosity and awareness of LSD as a suggested action that can alter the state of mind into a timeless dimension where the

death of ego and the resurrection of a new ‘Self’ is possible.

Use of Technique

The total of six individual square metal sheets will be cut by CNC plasma and powder coated. Four of them includes the typography of TAKE and LSD. Two of them will be the inner layers which creates optical illusion by using light and overlayering the shapes. Also, the six of the customed braces will be used to reinforce the wooden frame. The ultrasonic range finder receives data of the distance of the audience, then sends a siginal to Teensy to play the soundtrack that sends back as an output data to Teensy to control the LED strips. The volume of the first soundtrack, the fake ringing and vibration, will decrease as the audience gets closer to the object which results the gradual transition of LED strips from blinking to slow fade in/out. The ultrasonic keeps track on receiving data whether the audience is coming forth or going further. As the first soundtrack fades out, the second soundtrack, high-frequency, will gradually replace. At a distance close enough to the object, the LED stays on with the sound of high-frequency for certain amount of time. Then, the system goes back to the initial setting looking for the other audience.

Installation

The ideal space for this installation will be the basespace at the Columbus which has a high ceiling of about 8 ft which the object will be hung, and a large open space that provides more than 6ft of a range for the ultrasonic detector. However, due to high demands for this space during the final critique, I will be presenting this work in the room 619 at the Maclean building, and documenting it in the basespace later. The audience can only approach to the façade of the object. The space should allow no natural light, possibly the least amount of light in the room, preferably warm white from the high ceiling.

Budget

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