June 22, 2010
Utopia Skyways
In a slight departure from the norm, we were proud to be part of the latest immersive Secret Cinema event last week. The lovely SC folk went to town – an extravagantly neon Chinatown in a retrofuturistic LA – for a screening of Blade Runner.
If you were lucky enough to be travelling the distance on UtopiaSkyways you would have seen us in the Eyeworks lab installation. We questioned what it meant to be human, alongside the spitting image of scientist Chew (a genetic engineer of replicant eyes in the film).
We ran a specially designed change blindness test invesigating whether you were a human or a replicant, a survey on peoples attitudes towards robots, and investigations with an ‘empathetic’ Elvis robot, eyeballs and origami…We loved it. Featured scientists Laurel Riek (University of Cambridge), Peter McOwan, Milan Verma and the rest of the crew from Queen Mary did too.
We also invited Tim Maynard of the Living Classroom to wow the crowds as a serpent seller with a variety of insects and reptiles to handle. Our favourite? Gretchen the baby chameleon, daughter of Jeff.
Finally we ran a classification activity, inviting opinion on what constituted life and non-life on a sliding scale including the artwork ‘Dressing the Meat of Tomorrow’ by speculative designer James King, a Malaysian leaf insect, and stick insect amongst others.
A week of experimentation has led to a slight obsession with eyes, origami, and the complexity of human nature.
Check out the rest of the photos here and here.
By Jen
June 21, 2010
In Pictures: Blade Runner
Last week saw us spend six straight days immersed in Ridley Scott’s Blade Runner with the Secret Cinema. Check out our flickr site for complete pics of our installations in the Eyeworks
June 19, 2010
Space Walk at Distance
Departing from Stoke Newington International Airport, join our guided tour of the universe.
Download our audio file for the Distance festival walk here: Space Walk sound file
June 14, 2010
Distance, June 19-20
This weekend we’re taking part in ‘DISTANCE: a weekend of performances, talks, video and activity over distance’, curated by and hosted at the wonderful Stoke Newington International Airport.
Our take on the theme of distance is intergalactic…
Image: NASA
Sonic tour of the universe
2-4 pm Sat & Sun
Astrobiologist Dr Lewis Dartnell leads a sonic tour of the universe, guiding you on a walk through the streets of Hackney. After take-off from STK, journey with Lewis through space, stopping at increasing distances from Earth to listen to the sounds of Saturn’s rings, the Sun, black holes, and other alien worlds.
Distance
19-20 June
Stoke Newington International Airport
1-15 Leswin Place
London N16 7NJ
Sat 13:00 – 00:00
Sun 14:00 – 21:00
£8 per day £14 weekend ticket
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