Installation: electronic life forms (elf)
October 9th, 2005 by ThomasAnd while we’re at nature (as I know it) - electronic life forms (elf) is an installation project of my friend Martina Höfflin:
‘Elfs’ are small mechanical systems powered by solar energy that behave as natural living systems in many aspects. The immediate compassion for these life forms is an amazing experience, even though their abilities are very limited.
I still haven’t actually seen them - the video and images are already quite amazing.
October 9th, 2005 at 5:05 pm
I like it, but my question is:
Is this part of the re-design of existing, natural biological systems for useful purposes or we will have to put it into the ‘art as science and science as art ‘context?
October 9th, 2005 at 10:12 pm
It’s an art project and more about recreating familiar behaviour rather than usefulness.
October 9th, 2005 at 10:31 pm
Aja.. so it goes into the art context isn’t it?…
October 9th, 2005 at 10:38 pm
The fact they are small make them really cute and they look much more fragile than the context where they are allocated… just looking at the pictures (see the flowers one), it makes me realise how fragile is the elctronic bit (the elf) comapared with the natural bit (the flowers).
October 9th, 2005 at 11:04 pm
I found this:
The whole idea of this project is the exploration of technology and putting it in a new context/environment/perspective which questions the relationship between technology, nature and humans.
Elf : electronic life forms at PixelACHE 2005
It fits quite well into the Sloterdijk’s philosophy where he proposes the creation of an “ontological constitution†that would incorporate all elements (i.e. humans, animals, plants and machines).