A suite of performances and works at the intersection of art and science is in the New Alliance Gallery’s “Synth-tember,” kicking off Friday.
The works, curated by Jessica Baggia and Allison Tanenhaus, don’t use technology for its own sake but as enhancements of human experiences and abilities. At the Friday event, Berklee College of Music professor Maria Finkelmeier presents “Melody Figments,” in which she uses live motion-tracking technology during a percussive performance to translate movements into colorful 3D visuals of intricate, weblike formations. Her works are synesthetic – blending sound, image and rhythm into a sensory experience that is unique. Christopher T. Linder’s playful and innovative “Touchtone” is a machine with two small metal bars; two viewers will each hold one while also holding hands. The setup is responsive to that skin-to-skin contact, generating music from the connection.
Artist-engineer Nat Atnafu’s piece “The Fans of Life” uses 256 fans controlled by custom-made circuit boards and software to play out the British mathematician John Horton Conway’s Game of Life. Conway called his creation a “no-player game”; users couldn’t change the outcome. In contrast, Atnafu’s piece feels more participatory, as viewers can spin or stop any fan, affecting how a game plays out. The intricate patterns that result show the complexity that can come from just a simple set of rules.
Bent/haus – made up of Ben K. Foley and Tanenhaus – shows works from a series that exhibited at the Boston Cyberarts Gallery in 2022. In “Phantasmagoria,” Tanenhaus’ video art projections are a natural partner to Foley’s sculptures, which are made from discarded packing materials and mounted onto the wall. The resulting works are hypnotic to look at; the colors bleed and bend over the sculpture’s textures like a psychedelic topographic map.
New Alliance is always cooking up something new, exciting and DIY; “Synth-tember” is just the latest example. The artists here have a winning combination of creative thinking and technical execution, each turning their respective hardware and software into something sublime. There are too many incredible pieces to detail; you’ve got to see, hear and feel it for yourself.
In addition to the visual artworks, the band This Bliss performs music Friday from a new release, “Radiate.”
“Synth-tember” opens Friday and runs through Nov. 15 at New Alliance Gallery, 438R Somerville Ave., in Ward 2 near Union Square, Somerville. To book an appointment, email newalliancegallery@gmail.com.
Share your own 150-word appreciation for a piece of visual art or art happening with photo to editor@cambridgeday.com with the subject line “Behold.”
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