DARKSKY OPENS APRIL 3RD AT THE MCA

DarkSky is an interactive installation that consists of 30 salvaged table lamps that sit on a low table. When all the lamps are on, the enormous quantity of light produced is overwhelming. Turning all of the lamps off allows the viewers to see a complex animation of swarming fireflies that grows on a plasma monitor that sits behind the table. DarkSky invites viewers to “choose” a state for the artwork: one that consumes large quantities of energy or one that does not. Both states are intended to be aesthetically compelling; it is up to the viewers to choose one or the other state.

DarkSky is part of the UBS 12 x 12: New Artists/New Work series. The installation can be viewed in the McCormick Gallery at Chicago’s Museum of Contemporary Art from April 4-26, 2009. There is an artist’s talk scheduled for 6pm on Tuesday April 21st.