performance / exhibit

A clear Machine hangs in the center of three Cocoons. The Machine inputs white balls, with the help of a human Operator, and outputs differential events altering an ambient soundscape, with the help of three Musicians inside the Cocoons. The Operator eventually tires of his task and replaces himself with a machine that will inevitably exhaust the supply of white balls, leaving the Musicians to abandon their stations in frustration.

The Musicians leave the Cocoons open, revealing the devices by which they controlled the soundscape and leaving these devices visible and vulnerable to whomever may happen upon them. The soundscape is left in operation, subject to the whims of whatever individuals discover the controls and their power.

"Creativity" is a modern buzzword. As with most buzzwords, its essence is vague and generally poorly-understood. It is viewed by some as one of the characteristics most unique to humans, yet it has always required the use of inanimate objects. We crave products purportedly inducing and enhancing "creativity," but these products' availability is limited to that which is viable in the marketplace. Even internally, creativity is little more than the stochastic firing of neurons in the brain. Yet we choose to pursue it anyway, in the hope that we can understand it better, or at the very least, keep ourselves occupied.