Award of Distinction Interactive Art+
Ann-Katrin Krenz (DE)
The relationship between humans and nature seems to be out of balance. The human, a being defined by technology, is harming the environment on which its existence depends. In Parasitic/Symbiotic this tension between nature and technology is addressed. A scenario is established in which a human-made technical device sits, parasite-like, upon a tree. It contains a milling machine, which moves along the tree and carves a text into it. The text is a poem, Abschied, by Romanticist, Joseph von Eichendorff, 1810. The poem expresses the Romantic ideals of humanities desire for oneness with nature. By carving into and harming the tree, this mechanised action directly contradicts these principles. The result is an encoded form of the poem, which incorporates digital aesthetics whilst also becoming a part of the living tree. The resulting damage to the tree is superficial. It will live on merging with the artificial carving until the artwork becomes one with nature.
