Cartes Flux 2011 New Media Art Festival Presents Two Installations at Cable Gallery

Digital Enhancement by Martin Bircher (b. 1978, Switzerland) is a sound installation consisting of an electrified Symphonion Brevet No. 28, a synthesizer, an amplifier and four headphones. The Symphonion musical box dates back to the beginning of the last century and its mechanical workings are combined with digital technology to convert it into a MIDI sequencer. The original programmed music, embossed on steel plates, can be played on the synthesizer, which is programmed to mimic the sounds of the Symphonion.

Pong is one of the first computer games ever created. Ping Pong Rocking Chairs is Pasi Rauhala (b. 1978, Lahti) and Matti Niinimäki’s (b. 1984, Kuusankoski) version of that game tradition. This interactive installation consists of 70’s furniture that is modded with modern technology to work as a game platform. Old rocking chairs have built-in motion sensors, which move the bats in the game. Two spectators sit in the chairs, swinging the bats to play the game visible on a television monitor.

The exhibition is part of the Cartes Flux 2011 – Festival of New Media Art, hosted by Cartes Centre of Art and Technology, Espoo.