TheGreenEyl collective presents Whispering Table at Media Art Biennale WRO 2011. Willy Sengewald, member of TheGreenEyl explains how the installation works.
Four unique festivities celebrated by people of distinct cultures are assembled in an archetypical scene of congregation. Visitors approaching a round table filled with empty dishes discover that these are actually telling personal stories about the symbolic meaning of food and rituals. Written by a story writer, these stories are are based on interviews and research carried out for this piece. The content changes according to the dishes’ positions and their distance to the others. Similarities and peculiarities of different food ceremonies explored in a playful and entertaining way. By changing table constellations, the visitors reveal more and more stories and become part of a participatory spectacle.
With a variety of sensors and microelectronics, each module offers the ability to calculate, behave and narrate according to our wishes. The signiï¬cant capability however is the human being, carrying the device.
The WRO Biennale is organized by the WRO Media Art Center Foundation as part of the WRO Art Center’s activities.
Video by VernissageTV correspondent Ania Ejsmont.
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The Green Eyl Sengewald Schumacher is a multidisciplinary design practice investigating the aesthetic potential of technology. Its ï¬ve partners Willy Sengewald, Dominik Schumacher, Frédéric Eyl, Richard The and Gunnar Green divide their time between self-initiated projects and commissions, as well as consultancy and teaching. Their work has been nominated for Designs of the Year 2009 by Design Museum London, and awarded an Honorary Mention from Ars Electronica in 2008, 2009, and 2010. TheGreenEyl is based in Berlin, London, and New York. VernissageTV first met them in 2006 at Transmediale Berlin.