Re'FRACTIONS

'VI'BES' - A* CONSTRUCTION

CONSTRUCTION CONCRETE DISCS 

SOLDERING MOTORS 

"IF YOU CAN'T STICK A CARROT IN IT MAKE IT VIBRATE," - BETSY ZACSEK

TEST # 1 AT COMFORT STATION 

Vibration test at Comfort Station

Rotainoal Hum

R&D - Plans/Maquettes for 'VI'BES'

'VI'BES’

I really don’t feel good vibrations any more - lately there is a constant '''hum that follows me around. A type of tenacious white noise, that is a constant murmur - sounds coming either from mechanical devices (HVAC, traffic, the laptop which I’m writing this on, the vibrating cell phones, etc.) or the ever present informatioin from various media sources. These hums, noises and vibrations occupy the physical & (the head) space - there isn’t a space where I’m in presence of or responding to these vibrations.

The hums have been that of a distant cheer in the background, followed by disgust, followed by falling debris, followed by rattling, followed by cries and then the distant sound of waves: it is indeed a swallowing moment.

I feel all these noises/vibrations are uncomfortable and just as jarring as the song ‘Good Vibrations’ by Marky Mark and the Funky Bunch.

‘VI’BES’  - The installation project in the interior space of Comfort Station will involve a guttural response that is induced by site, space and vibrations. Using three vital mechanisms:

Rotational Hum:

I will create several circular concrete motorized sculptural pieces that will be spinning multicolored zip ties (see image # 6 in proposal visual). These pieces will be hung on the walls throughout the space. Each disc will be controlled by arduino and sensors - speed and rotation will be activated by the viewers approach.  

Vibrations:

“If these walls could speak…” seems to be the general poetic sentiment I often hear when when discussing site or history of a place- I rather focus on ”If these walls could shake.”

I will set up mini vibrating motors attached to the walls & floors that will create a very subtle vibration much like that of a cell phone. Literally shaking the walls of the space. The viewer when touching the walls or floor will be able to feel these little tremors, in certain location.

Inhalation:

I will create a sculptural piece that is covered in plastic sheet and connected to a vacuum . The air within the plastic will be constantly sucked causing the plastic to tightly wrap around the sculptural element, creating a tension between the skin and the armature. (See video).


Presence' Tense - Butcher Shop

THOUGHTS -

Meat - think of a cow - slaughtered, cut into segments and sold to make various edible dishes. The cow is deconstructed to a level of flesh as a form of commodity, its whole form does not exist. However the cow is represented by the weight of its segmented flesh, sold at any local grocer. Do we think of the cow? As we, inspect the flesh – its freshness, the cut, the texture, the fat/lean of it, etc…
I think I will call her Willamina, the cow whose 1.22 lbs prime cut steak is neatly packaged with cellophane and pink foam.

Presence’ Tense, after six week presentation was dismantled in a pseudo-performative public de-installation piece on January 17th. The public was welcomed to participate and observe the reduction of the art pieces from sculptures to commodity portions. 

Presence’ Tense consisted surprisingly modular concrete pillaresque sculptures, monumentally installed in the gallery, with no structural function. Using the butcher shop as a metaphor, these Habra Jabra sculptures built with building blocks from similarly useless but common materials will be slaughtered, quartered and cut down to their co-modifiable re-purposeful, re-thinkable and reducible basic parts. The pillars much like a full cow is slaughtered, quartered and sold piece by piece – reducing the installation down to its basic parts and sold off by weight and choice, much like ribs, shanks, steak and chuck are sold at grocery stores and restaurants.

With the aid of two assistants (Atif F. Sheikh and Mir Masud-Elias)the installation was dismantled. 

Audience members selected the cylinder for purchase after inspection. The cylinder was weighed and then wrapped in butcher paper, sold by the pound. The weight was written on the butcher paper and given to the buyer.

 

 

Prensence' Tense Opens

Presence' Tense Statement

Presence’ Tense 

Conversation with my mother on 10/20/2014 at 11:20 pm central time via google 
voice using a mac book pro laptop bought in 2010. 

Written with English alphabets and transcribed into English. 
Ammu (Bengali for mother) –  Anjum Kibria 
P* (Nickname used by my mother – undisclosed) – Juneer Kibria

Conversation in Bengali: 

P*: Ammu amar exhibition hobey Philidephiaey December mashe. 
Ammu: Ohh khob Bhalo! Ki painting ni eh? 
P*: Na! Installation 
Ammu: Painting aka akdoom cherae dilla? Agay na koto shondor shondor chobi akta.  
P*: Ha! Onek din chobi aki nie, bashi bhag installation niay kajo kori akhone. 
Ammu: Ki oey habra-jabra niya?
P*: Yup, onek habra-jabra!

Transcription in English:

P*: Ammu, I have an exhibition in Philadelphia this December. 
Ammu: Ohhh very good! What, with paintings? 
P*: No! Installation. 
Ammu: You completely gave up painting? You used to paint so many beautiful paintings. 
P*: Ha! I haven’t painted in a very long time.  I’m usually working with installation these days. 
Ammu: What, like those habra-jabra stuff?
P*: Yup, lots of habra-jabra!

Habra-Jabra: No literal translation in English. Translation attempt: 
Very messy un-useful things that are collecting dust and cobwebs, OR 
Dusty old things that are chewed out, OR 
Discarded, unimportant un-pretty messes of guts. 

Presence’ Tense is a site specific and personal installation that explores 
semantics, material play and the condition of architectural interiors. Modularity? 
Less is More? Form follows Function?
While habra-jabras ('guts'), the fundamental building blocks of building 
construction and architecture are exposed, this installation creates monuments 
with no structural function. The modular make of these monuments are 
developed by the endless collection of molded disposable coffee cups and 
cardboard sleeves signifying a connection to a historical and cultural identity – A 
habra-jabra of burden.