Seïko Taki's Future Tense film looks to nostalgic visions of childhood for its inspiration, although the resulting film is anything but sickly-sweet or rose-tinted. Taki herself declares ‘The way we look at things is rarely the straightest way but more often a dissymmetry,’ and in this instance this idea manifests... [more]
A fascinating element of Future Tense is the global vision many of the young brands featured seem to have already developed so soon in their careers. Heather Blake’s global view is quite literal – her short sharp shock of a film barely touches forty seconds, but manages to whisk us... [more]
Julian Oliver is a software developer based in Madrid. levelHead consists of a solid plastic cube which is then tracked by a camera, so that on the screen in front of you it appears that there is an escher-like room inside with a lone white figure. By tilting the cube,... [more]
All too often, when fashion falls into the realms of art it can forget and even denigrate the body it seeks to dress. The tremendously talented Sandra Backlund is a notable exception, as her Future Tense film proves. Working with filmmaker Marcus Werner Hed, Backlund's video captures seemingly offhand, intimate... [more]
Another Digital Music entry by Japanese sound artist Satoshi Morita. Klangkapsel invites the user to slide into a full size capsule and experience a soundscape that is also supported by numerous vibrations throughout the pod. Lying down in the capsule you are completely immersed in the eight channel field recording... [more]
Reactable won the coveted Golden Nica in Digital Music and is the work of Sergi Jorda, Gunter Geiger at the Music Technology Group, Universitat Pompeu Frabra, Barcelona. A camera situated beneath the table tracks the players fingertips and the position and orientation of the pieces. Users can then create music... [more]
I've had a good look around the exhibition and thought I would select a few pieces and take some photos. The first is an interactive piece by Tsutomu Mutoh from Japan called Optical Tone, which also won an Honorary mention in interactive art. It comprises of four glowing spheres that... [more]
With her A/W 2008 collection inspired by the universe of David Lynch’s High School femme fatale and Man Ray’s Solarisation techniques, it may be expected that Danish designer Louise Amstrup’s contribution to Future Tense would be a somewhat dark and mournful affair. The resulting film - created with photographer Mads... [more]
Populated with Tilda Swinton clones, bell-encrusted tuxedos and upside-down ballgowns, the minds of Viktor and Rolf are fascinating depths to mine. Now, the opportunity is ripe for you to pose your own conundrums to the dynamic Dutch Duo. On Saturday September 13, Penny Martin will be in conversation with Viktor... [more]
Everything is set up and the organisers will now spend the day taking groups of press through the exhibition. All artists are to stand by their works and speak when questioned. So far I have done 2 TV interviews and 1 Radio so if any viewers in Germany are reading... [more]
"I just had this picture in mind of a woman who's an artist. She finishes painting, has an appointment to go to, and runs out as she is with wet hair." This comment is indicative of the fresh, dynamic quality Cathy Pill is bringing to couture, and to Future Tense.... [more]
Inspired by the age-old concept of ‘the perfect woman’, the contribution of twins Truus and Riet of Spijkers en Spijkers to Future Tense makes for unsettling viewing. Modernising this conceit for a world where ideal beauty is measured and meted-out in airbrushing, retouching and post-production, their film examines and exposes... [more]
Oft crafted from the debris of everyday life – old watch innards, cast-off rings, fused spectacles – Husam El Odeh’s unique artisanal jewellery is nevertheless always spectacular. In his Future Tense film, there is little to distract from El Odeh’s trademark pieces – indeed, his S/S 2009 collection moves of... [more]
Everything works and I've spent the last hour or so playing with the lights to get the best from the space. The stand is away being painted, then I will get to work tidying up the space and making sure its safe. For now, here's a slightly menacing image of... [more]
From the playful to the sinister: our second Future Tense film of the day again comes from a Japanese label, albeit with a very different aesthetic perspective. Translated as ‘layer’ or ‘make-up’, the Japanese word Keshou echoes Kosmetique’s own title, derived from designer Kanya Miki’s aim to improve the body... [more]
I arrived at the gallery this morning to find everything I had asked for set up and working, which is a great relief. They even custom made us this fantastic photographic light! I am slowly unpacking the equipment I sent from London and keeping my fingers crossed that it all... [more]
With animation skills worthy of Monty Python (a distinct compliment in our book), this film from Hall OHara is our first piece of pure animation in the increasingly-packed Future Tense programme. But dispel any memories of the traditional Warner Brothers-style ‘cartoon’ from your brain: Hall Ohara’s work with Japanese animator... [more]
I have arrived in Linz, Austria to set up 'The replenishing body' as part of Ars Electronica. I have my tiny pc and my trusty camera and plan to post a few blogs showing the process of setting up the exhibition and, hopefully, of some great interactive work. Work starts... [more]
Closing our first day of Future Tense September programming is
Siv Støldal’s 2 Wardrobes, created with filmmaker Lewis Ronald. Based on Siv’s recent collection, this film is an examination of garments within the wardrobes of two Norwegian men – providing surprisingly ample inspiration for both Siv’s collection and this film.
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Surrealism seems to be a keynote of many of our Future Tense films – but Patrik Söderstam takes the surreal and the symbolic to its absolute limit. Upper Corner 1, taken from an upcoming conceptual art project by the ever-prolific Söderstam, may be entirely devoid of clothing but is still... [more]
