Radio Dada
Summary
Radio Dada is a video created through feedback of the camera, pixelated, and added on music according to the video/digital pixel movement (refer to the technical section for more information). Overall, the video is visually amusing and distracting at the same time. It starts with a static sound and visual effect, which flows, moves and transforms into different shape, layers of space, color and experience. As shown in different stages of the work, each scene captured can stand as its own art. The adding of music create an interesting communication between the video and sound effect because they are digitally put together as one and reflect one another.
Emotional Outcomes of the Work
Rosa Menkman has distinct style in her art and Radia Dada could be recognized as her work. This piece is rather confusing, mysterious, alien-like and even violent. It almost looks like the computer is trying to communicate with human or alien through its own voice (music) and facial expression (video). It seems like the computer is expressing emotion through the staticness, different colors and organic-looking flow of movement. For the audience who doesn't know how to interpret digital internet/interactive art, this artwork can feel rather crazy, madness, and a cloud of confusion as they try to figure out and make sense out of the art piece.
Place in Art History
Digital, online and internet interactive art has only been introduced within the past (around) 10-15 years or so and it is still very new, but also familiar at the same time. As new media and technology developed, artists also started to create art and new movement and style corresponding to the new era and 21st century. This digital/internet interactive art movement is yet to be explored, developed and is still in progress of development, which marks a big footstep within the history of art within the 21st century and our society: art through internet.
Technical Components & Interactivity
Radia Dada is a video of images that are constructed out of nothing but the image created by feedback. She glitched the video by changing its format and subsequently exporting it into animated GIFs. Extraboy composed the music for the video and video was edit through Quicktime. The composing process started with a hand held world radio. Extraboy scanned through frequencies and experimented with holding the radio in different parts of the room while touching different objects. Eventually he got the radio to oscillate noise in the tempo that he perceived in the video. The added synthesizer sounds were played live to further build on the non-digital sound and rhythm. This was later contrasted with drums which were digitally synthesized and processed through effects with a very digital sound to them. Just like with the video, the digital and analogue media and aesthetics of sound are mixed into one coherent whole.[1]
Stages of the Work
Each scene of the video from Radia Dada itself makes an abstract artwork that can simply stand by itself.
Footnote
Radio Dada http://videoscapes.blogspot.ca/2008/12/blog-post.html
Rosa Menkman http://rosa-menkman.blogspot.ca
Rosa Menkman Wiki Page http://wiki.ubc.ca/Rosa_Menkman
Wiki Authors
- Bo Ha and Sia Kim (2014)