the Generative Garden
(2014 – 2021)
(2014 – 2021)
A traditional Japanese garden is a miniaturised natural landscape. Following clear aesthetic principles (symbolism and scene borrowing, concealment and balance in balanced asymmetry), a Japanese garden induces meditation through peaceful contemplation. Inspired by nature, it is nonetheless a man-made work of art. The human creator then withdraws from its creation, only intervening to maintain order in this miniature cosmos when necessary. Here we propose an autonomous and generative garden that takes care of itself and reconfigures according to the seasons. Humans (and a mischievous animated stone) introduce the necessary element of Chaos, while Order is maintained by three slightly opinionated robotic lanterns: the Toro-bots.
The Toro-Bots pay visit to Microwave (2021)
Having escaped the rigid rules of their garden in Kagurazaka, the fugitive lamp-gods Sakura-chan, Kaminari-chan and Tangerine-chan continue exploring the garden of humans. This time, they have decided to pay visit to Microwave Festival. Their unique personalities - fearful, curious and belligerent - shape an improvised and interactive choreography influenced by a past of (clearly not so) intense meditation.
傳統的日本花園是一個小型的自然景觀；遵循明確的美學原則 (象徵主義和場景借用、還有隱藏與其平衡的不對稱感)，日本花園通過和平的沉思誘導冥想。雖然靈感來自於大自然，但它仍然是一件人造藝術作品。人類創造者隨後退出其作品，只在必要時介入以維持這個微型宇宙的秩序。在這裡，我們提出一個自主及生成的花園，它可以照顧自己並根據季節重新配置。人類 (以及一只調皮的動態石頭)引入了必要的混沌元素，而秩序則由三只略帶意見的燈型機器人維持： the Toro-bots (又名燈燈燈櫈)。
逃離了神樂坂花園的嚴格規定後，逃亡的燈神小櫻、小雷和橘醬繼續探索人類花園；這次他們決定去微波國際新媒體藝術節。他們的獨特個性 – 恐懼、好奇與好鬥 – 塑造了一個即興又互動的編排，並受著過去 (顯然又沒那麼嚴重)繃緊的冥想所影響。
biography
Alvaro Cassinelli is an equilibrist walking the thin line between Art and Science. Born in Uruguay, he obtained an Engineering Degree in Telecommunications and a PhD in Physics in France before moving to Japan where he founded and lead the Meta-Perception group at the Ishikawa-Oku Laboratory, university of Tokyo – a research group specialized on interfaces for enhancing human communication and expression, expanding the vocabulary of HCI and media arts. He is presently Associate Professor and co-founder of the XRL/AM (Extended Reality Lab, Augmented Materiality Group) at the School of Creative Media in Hong Kong. Awards includes the Grand Prize [Art Division] (9th Japan Media Art Festival), Excellence Prize [Entertainment Division] (13th Japan Media Art Festival), Honorary Mention at Ars Electronica(2006), NISSAN Innovative Award (2010), Jury Grand Prize at Laval Virtual (2011).
阿法羅‧卡西內利遊走於藝術與科學之間，是一名平衡主義者。生於烏拉圭，在法國獲得其電訊工程學位及物理學博士學位，及後移居日本並於東京大學的工學系石川奧實驗室創立及主理後設知覺硏究組，這個硏究組群專注於探硏助長人類溝通、表達與感知的介面，延伸HCI (人機介面)與媒體藝術的可能性。他現為香港城市大學創意媒體學院副教授，學院的XRL/AM (延伸實景實驗室、擴張物料小組)的共同創立人。其作品曾獲多項國際藝術奬項，包括第9屆日本媒體藝術祭藝術組別大奬、第13屆日本媒體藝術祭娛樂組別卓越奬、2006年奧地利Ars Electronica媒體藝術節榮譽奬、2010年NISSAN創新大奬以及2011年Laval Virtual評審大奬等。
