INFORMATION FOR
Michael Rees: Synthetic Cells, an exhibition created by Michael Rees, William Paterson University visual art professor and professional sculptor, will be featured at Grounds for Sculpture in Hamilton through December 31, 2019. Rees’s oversized sculptures challenge viewers to question how the boundaries of our physical and digital experiences are converging.
Rees created seven 10-foot cube sculptures in varying hues of vinyl as well as augmented reality animals and insects that are activated by tablet computers as a part of the exhibition. Images applied to the walls and vinyl skin of five of the seven cubes become triggers for that augmented reality experience. Hovering a tablet near these images generates a composite view for the visitor that overlays the tangible work. Through the tablet’s viewfinder, the visitor experiences the actual sculpture combined with a computer-generated virtual layer.
“Site (Para) site,” the augmented reality portion of this exhibition, was guest curated by noted digital experts Murat Orozobekov and Edward Winkleman who founded Moving Image, a video-based artwork fair in London, New York and Istanbul. The digital overlays were created by Michael Rees and three other artists: Claudia Hart, Chris Manzione, and Will Pappenheimer. In the fall of 2018, three more artists supplied augmented reality experiences: John Craig Freeman, Tamiko Thiel, and Carla Gannis.
For more information about the exhibit: https://www.groundsforsculpture.org/Exhibitions/Michael-Rees-Synthetic-Cells-Site-and-Para-Site
