Aurelia 1+Hz / Proto Viva Generator

interactive generative installation with a living system

by Robertina Šebjanič

with tech support by Slavko Glamočanin

Production:
NewArtFoundation and the ..NewArt { collection;}. Electronic Art Collection (artist’s proof) 2019,
La Gaîté lyrique 2018, Gallery Kapelica 2014

Project ‘Aurelia 1+Hz / Proto Viva Generator’ addresses the possibilities of coexistence of animals and machines. In contrast to robots, which are driven by digital artificial intelligence, the project uses a live organism to process the “aliveness” of a simple machine.

photo by Hana Jošić

The Aurelia 1+Hz project is divided in two parts; the performance Aurelia 1+Hz/Proto Viva Sonification looks into a new critical redefinition of social values and new attitude towards cohabitation of interspecies while the installation Aurelia 1+Hz/Proto Viva Generator deals with the biopolicy of prolonging life.

Aurelia 1+Hz/Proto Viva Generator (interactive installation 2014) addresses the possibilities of coexistence of humans, animals and machines. The project uses living organisms to process “aliveness” of a simple robotic machine.
The installation addresses two entities – jellyfish and robot – separated, but if they merged into one, causing new biocybernetic organism to occur: Would “it” be able to live forever?

In the era of the Sixth Extinction of species, after pulsating through the world’s seas and oceans for over 500 million years without ever being endangered, the jellyfish are the perfect evolutional archive, showing us potential moves the future might make. The eternity of the jellyfish – some are even immortal as a species – has been fueling even the most ancient human thoughts on eternal life, on the mythical search for the fountain of youth and on immortality.

Improved living conditions in a technologically advanced world enable us to lead a significantly longer life than in the past. But how long is long enough? The answer to this question appears to be in the hands of the cosmetic and pharmaceutical industries, which use the powers of biopolitics and capital to divide our society into those who are able to prolong their life, and into those who are merely trying to survive. The historical tactics of civilizations trying to ensure their cultural immortality are today contrasted by the biotechnological possibilities of actually designing and controlling life, demanding a new, critical redefinition of social values.

Living organism

Jellyfish used in frames of the project are from the species of Aurelia Aurita or moon jellyfish. It is the most common jellyfish that is to be found in all seas and oceans and, at the same time, modular organism in the laboratories for jellyfish research.

Aquariums & maintainers of living organisms

The aquariums that are used in frames of the project are developed by Cubic Aquarium Systems and are built in a way that enables these organisms to have the best possible experience in closed habitat.

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video about the concept and reaserch of the project Aurelia 1+Hz 

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In 2019 the projectAurelia 1+Hz/Proto Viva Generator  2.0 (artist’s proof) is part of .NewArt { collection;}. Electronic Art Collection.

Project premiered at the Ars electronica festival in Linz, September 2019: https://ars.electronica.art/outofthebox/en/beep-electronic-art/

photos by Miha Godec

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The Aurelia 1+Hz project is divided in two parts; the performance Aurelia 1+Hz/Proto Viva Sonification looks into a new critical redefinition of social values and new attitude towards cohabitation of interspecies while the installation Aurelia 1+Hz/Proto Viva Generator deals with the biopolicy of prolonging life.

Aurelia 1+Hz/Proto Viva Sonification is an interactive performance that explores the phenomena of interspecies’ communication. It features live transmitted sound generated by Aurelia Aurita jellyfish and performer. Sound loops containing recordings of jellyfish in closed environment and prerecorded sonic experiments from the sea are mixed in generative score which is assembled into immersive sonic and visual experience.

Aurelia 1+Hz/Proto Viva Generator is an installation that addresses the possibilities of coexistence of humans, animals and machines. The project uses living organisms to process “aliveness” of a simple robotic machine. The installation addresses two entities – jellyfish and robot – separated, but if they merged into one, causing new biocybernetic organism to occur, would they be able to live eternal life?

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Photos of Aurelia 1+Hz/Proto Viva Generator at premier of the project in 2014 at Gallery Kapelica:

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Evening talk about stem cell technology, regenerative medicine & physical immortality at Gallery Kapelica, November 2014

with Robertina Šebjanič, ‘Aurelia 1+Hz’ project author and guests:

Quallen welt 

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Aurelia 1+Hz photo by Vinciane Lebrun-Verguethen archive La Gaîté lyrique

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Aurelia 1+Hz/Proto Viva Generator

umetnica in raziskovalka: Robertina Šebjanič

Tehnična podpora: Slavko Glamočanin

Produkcija:

NewArtFoundation in .NewArt { collection;}.  Electronic Art Collection (avtorski izvod) 2019, 

La Gaîté lyrique 2018, Galerija Kapelica 2014,  

Posebna zahvala: Aquarium, Pula; Zoovienna – Aquarium, Dunaj; Ministrstvo za kulturo Republike Slovenije, Ljubljana; Zavod Sektor, Ljubljana.

http://robertina.net/aurelia-1hz_proto-viva-generator/ 

Narativni video: https://vimeo.com/159648215  

Video napovednik za instalacijo: https://vimeo.com/1267420

Projekt Aurelia 1+Hz je sestavljen iz dveh delov; performans Aurelia 1+Hz / proto viva sonification se posveča novi kritični redefiniciji družbenih vrednot in novih stališč do sobivanja različnih vrst, medtem ko instalacija Aurelia 1+Hz/Proto Viva Generator raziskuje biopolitike podaljševanja življenja.    

Aurelia 1+Hz/Proto Viva Sonification je interaktivni performans, ki raziskuje načine komunikacije med različnimi vrstami živih organizmov. Delo vsebuje živo posredovan zvok, ki ga proizvajajo meduze vrste Aurelia Aurita in nastopajoči. Zvočne zanke, ki vsebujejo posnetke meduz v zaprtih okoljih in vnaprej posnete sonične eksperimente iz morja, so združene v generativno kompozicijo, ki omogoča potopitveno sonično in vizualno izkušnjo.

Aurelia 1+Hz/Proto Viva Generator naslavlja možnosti sobivanja ljudi, živali in strojev. Za razliko od robotov, ki jih poganja digitalna umetna inteligenca, je v instalaciji uporabljen živ organizem, ki omogoča živost preprostega stroja. Delo v ospredje ločeno postavlja dve entiteti, meduze in robote; a kaj če se le-ti združijo v eno in povzročijo pojav novega biokibernetskega organizma? Bi bili potemtakem zmožni živeti večno?

V obdobju šestega množičnega izumrtja vrst, potem ko so več kot 500 let plule v oceanih in morjih ne da bi bile ogrožene, predstavljajo meduze izjemen evolucijski arhiv, ki kaže na mogoče spremembe v prihodnosti. Večnost meduz–nekatere vrste med njimi so dejansko nesmrtne–je burilo ljudsko misel o večnem življenju že od pradavnine in povzročilo mitsko iskanje vrelca mladosti in nesmrtnosti. Izboljšane življenjske razmere in tehnološka razvitost omogočajo, da ljudje živimo znatno dlje kot v preteklosti. A kako dolgo je dovolj dolgo? 

Zdi se, da je odgovor na to vprašanje v rokah kozmetične in farmacevtske industrije, ki uporabljata svojo biopolitično in kapitalsko moč za razdvajanje družbe na tiste, ki si lahko podaljšajo življenje, in na tiste, ki si prizadevajo le preživeti. Zgodovinske taktike civilizacij v poskusih zagotavljanja svoje kulturne nesmrtnosti so danes pogosto v nasprotju z biotehnološkimi možnostmi oblikovanja in kontroliranja življenja, ki zahteva novo kritično redefinicijo družbenih vrednot. 

Živi organizmi:

Meduze, ki so uporabljene v projektu, so iz vrste Aurelia Aurita oziroma uhati klobučnjak. To je ena izmed najbolj običajnih vrst meduz, ki živi v vseh morjih in oceanih, prav tako pa je tudi pogost modularni organizem v laboratorijih za raziskovanje meduz.

Akvariji:

Akvariji, ki so uporabljeni v projektu, so bili razviti v podjetju Cubic Aquarium Systems in so zgrajeni na način, ki omogoča živim organizmom najboljše mogoče življenjske pogoje v zaprtih habitatih.

fotografije Miha Godec

Aurelia 1+Hz/Proto Viva Generator

Projekt Robertine Šebjanič

Produkcija 2019 (avtorski izvod)

.NewArt { collection;}. Electronic Art Collection in NewArtFoundation 

Svetovanje: Vicente Matallana in Sandra Castillo, LaAgencia, Barcelona

Podpora pri koordinaciji: Zavod Sektor, Ljubljana

Razvoj mehanskih delov: Scenart, Ljubljana

Tehnična podpora in programiranje: Slavko Glamočanin

Posebna zahvala: Aquarium, Pula; Zoovienna – Aquarium, Dunaj.

Postprodukcija 2018

Postprodukcija: La Gaîté lyrique | Le lieu des cultures numériques (Francija) 

Razvoj mehanskih delov: Scenart (Slovenija)

Tehnična podpora in programiranje: Slavko Glamočanin

Meduze in nega biološkega dela: l’Aquarium tropical du Palais de la Porte Dorée (Francija)

Produkcija 2014

Produkcija: Galerija Kapelica, Ljubljana; Zavod Praksa, Ljubljana (Slovenija)

Tehnična podpora in programiranje: Slavko Glamočanin (Slovenija)

Razvoj mehanskih delov: Miha Presker (Slovenija)

Nega biološkega dela: Kristijan Tkalec in Robertina Šebjanič (Slovenija)

Svetovanje: prof. dr. Alenka Malej, Morska biološka postaja Piran (Slovenija)

Nerjaveče jeklo: Roman B. (Slovenija)

Produkcijska podpora: Ministrstvo za kulturo Republike Slovenije; Mestna občina Ljubljana, Oddelek za kulturo (Slovenija)

Posebna zahvala: Cubic Aquarium Systems, PORTIZMIR#3 (Turčija)