From - Mon Jun 15 13:45:37 1998 Received: from mx.uucp.ne.jp (ns2.uucp.ne.jp [210.141.111.69]) by mail.pixi.com (8.8.5/8.8.5/PIXI-5.2) with ESMTP id NAA13426 for ; Mon, 15 Jun 1998 13:10:09 -1000 (HST) Received: (from majordom@localhost) by mx.uucp.ne.jp Date: Tue, 16 Jun 1998 08:03:21 +0900 X-Originator: Artsite2k@aol.com X-Sequence: r2001 964 Subject: [r2001 00964] BC show X-UIDL: 0326408ba94656d55f2ac289eb8585af X-Mozilla-Status: 0001 Content-Length: 3632

Binary Code at Trans Hudson Gallery, NYC

June 14, 1998

I drove up to NYC last night to see the BC show in person and meet the R2001 members that put it together. Yola and Aleksi did a great job, we all need to thank them. They put in a lot of hours, sweat, and time, they’re hard work was evident! Thanks guys, it was great! A brief description of the show follows for those not lucky enough to attend. The Chelsea gallery district (SoHo has been left to the trendy boutiques that can afford the outrageous rents) is block after block of decaying warehouses, practically in the Hudson river. Grimy workers unload trucks on 13th St., the afternoon rain has stopped and a group of punk looking art lovers are milling about in front of the Trans-Hudson Gallery, smoking cigarettes. Some are dressed in black, others in bowling shirts or plastic jackets, the workers ignore them. A howling sound is wafting through the black, drapery shrouded windows of the gallery. I make my way into the building. A small vestibule, a radiator topped with plywood and bottles of wine, and color BC cards greet the shows patrons. The sounds grow louder, screeching, thrumming, clacks and a stifling heat emanate from the darkened, first room of the gallery. Trans-Hudson, a typical Chelsea gallery, is "under construction", the floor has a layer of dust on it, the walls appear to have been only recently put in place, and cables dangle from the ceiling. All in all just the right atmosphere for an exhibition about the future! The space is comprised of three small rooms. In the back of the gallery a computer terminal is surrounded by guests. They appear to be surfing the net, viewing art sites. The middle space contains the galleries reception desk, unattended and littered with stacks of papers and cabling. Two artists are working on a jumbled pile of computer equipment. In front of them a set of monitors displays a looped image of a digitally transfigured woman, sparkling gold, spinning round and round. Projected on the adjacent wall is a web page. The two artist’s are participating in an on-line "chat" room. The main event takes place in the front room of the gallery. Here sound artists; Mneumonyk hi-fi, kblaat, and eoe are banging out pure noise on stacks of synthesizers and computer components. The sound is hypnotic, patterns arise from the chaos only to be overwhelmed by the cracking of the amplified floor mat "electro-tap" dancing. Above these talented artists, projected ten foot tall is the R2001 Binary Code piece. The heat in the gallery is overwhelming, the sounds near deafening. R2001 web pages flash on, hold for a moment, mutate, and then continue. One by one the submitted work proceeds. Almost two hours of, digital images, slide shows, and electronic collage provide a visual feast for those in attendance. The room fills and empties, like the waves on the beach, as guests take in the show, get some air (or a smoke) then return. Crowds huddle around the edges of the room or sit on the dirty floor taking in the piece, sipping wine, and chatting quietly amongst themselves. After viewing the show it’s time to leave. Many people are still hanging around the gallery and trucks continue their all night deliveries to the city. My mind is filled with the sounds, smells and images of the show, I start my car and head for the Holland tunnel. The Jersey turnpike is cool and dark, jets rumble barely 50 feet above the highway, landing at Newark airport. The rains that had stopped during the BC show gather strength and a heavy downpour begins.

Scott Aikens, ArtSite2000 / Philadelphia’s light home

Scott, what a wonderful description of the chaos at BC, along with the
heat and smells and cacaphony of street and construction sounds. Thank
you so much for letting me se what it was all about. There seems to have
been beaucoup sharing and artists-mingling. Wish I was at least 65 years
younger!

-Anne

Anne Harris <anneart@bellatlantic.net>
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Mon, 15 Jun 1998 21:18:06 -0400