Automata

Artjog: Infinity in Flux, 2015

6-28 June Taman Budaya, Yogyakarta

“Automata” is a series of mechanical eyes that follow visitors forward and back across the gallery space. If nobody is in the gallery space the eyes fall asleep. They awaken again when a visitor approaches.

An automata is a self-operating machine. They were originally built as amusements in both ancient China and in ancient Greece. In this work, the Auto Mata look back at the gallery visitors – confusing the distinction between the artwork and its audience.

The eyes are screenprinted onto two layers of plywood – one for the eyelids and one for the eyeball. The movement of the eyes is controlled by a small servo motor and a microprocessor. The movement of visitors is detected by a small camera mounted on the gallery ceiling in front of the work, and signals are sent to the eyes via wifi.

Total dimensions 190 x 265cm