| At first glance, tele-present wind (2018) by David Bowen could be perceived as a plant-like oddity composed of 126 dried plant branches mounted on metal rods. This undulating symphony is actually orchestrated by the wind’s blow, the intensity of which is captured via anemometers located in Minnesota, USA. This reconstituted mini-forest, acting as the promise of a somewhat disturbing mechanical future, rises and sways in unison, giving the scene a strange aura: that of a still life yet very much alive. The sound of the moving metal rods, like leaves caressed by the breeze, reinforces the organic spirit of the installation. Tele-present wind is in fact a shifted representation of fluid dynamics, the main subject here being the observation of the movement of wind.
“Using intersections between natural and mechanical systems, I produce unique relationships within my sculpture and installations. With robotics, custom software, sensors, tele-presence and data, I construct devices and situations that are set in motion to interface with the physical, virtual and natural world. The devices I construct often play both the roles of observer and creator, providing limited and mechanical perspectives of dynamic situations and living systems. These devices and situations create a dissonance that leads to an incalculable changeable situation resulting in unpredictable outcomes. The phenomenological outputs are collaborations between the natural form or function, the mechanism and the artist." David Bowen David Bowen
Kapelica Gallery | 
