THE PARTICIPANT ‘CONTROLS’ THE AIR; THE ROOM IS ALIVE

AND WATCHING

Someone o wa ch over me

Alexander Kennedy makes sweet music thanks to sound and installation artist David Rokeby’s exhibition at the CCA

he ('('.\ eontiuuex itx e\ploi‘;itiou ol the ieltitionxhip hetueen teeluiologx and tilt. with the lirxt iiitiior xIto\\ and retroxpeeti\e ol ('tuiuditiu horn tutixt I);i\id Ix’okeh}. 'I‘he exhthitiou

hriuex together lixe ol hix ;l\\;ll'tI*\\IlllIIlI:_’ inxtullutioux. new media tirtxxorkx thut e\;uuiue the \\;i_\ huintuix and iuuehiuex iuutugilh iullueuee etieh UIIIUI‘. I\)HI\CI‘_\.\ inieott IIiL‘ IIIL‘ I‘ItHHI HI~ IIIL' eoiuputer eireuit reeordx. reuieinherx the etirhoir htixed oretuiie uiuxxex IIlilI uxe it. reminding ux that it’x not oul_\ our eut‘hou lootpriutx that \\ e need to he .mure ol'. hut our lighter. more telling etirhon lingerpriutx.

I'Ittlll the late Mix to the prexeut d;i_\ Ix’okehvx IIIIUI';ICII\C \\orkx h;i\e eoniured tip the pluee \xhere teehuologieul \ ie‘\\e‘i"x eonxeiouxuexx ithe hittiu ;ix iuuehiuei interluee. In ‘\'er_\ \enom S}xteiu‘ l WM» I‘Niil the uriixt uxex

tltI\ tiueex ttlltI the

eouiputerx. euuierux ;uid xx uthexi/erx to erettte Lt xp;iee where the iiio\eutent ol' the \ie\\ er Ix IlltllxIHl‘lllL‘tI into inuxie. ;i teehuitiue no“ \xidel_\ uxed h_\ eoiupoxerx. ehoreoerupherx. iiiuxieiunx and other urtixtx tlhe progrtuuiue Il;l\ reeentl} heen de\eloped ;l\ gin ;ieti\it} euuhler in ;i Il'L‘dIlllClll lor I’urkiuxou'x I)ixe;ixei. 'I‘he pttrtieiptuit 'eoutrolx' the tiir tiround them; the tooth ix ;tli\ e and \\;tIL‘IIIII:_'. Iixtening tor the iiio\euient ol' the peron \\ ho puxxex through.

‘litieh inxtrument ix htixietiII} tl heh;i\ior.‘ x;i_\x Rokeh}. ‘tin eleetronieull} eonxtrueted perxontilit}. It'x \xtitehing _\ou.' 'I‘he ideti ix xomeuhere thueen mud—mp air—guitar dui’tnexx t_\ou eun xtund and Hit” tuid IIJP _\our tirmx like ti grounded duek ii. _\ou xo

dexirei LllItI ;i poignant philoxophietil eoinuient on tuorttilit}. l‘he ghoxt ol‘ our iuo\etueut. our e\ixteuee. xiugx huek to tix. in\okiu;_' the (ireek tinged} ol' Izeho.

Rokeh} hux ztlxo ttxed (‘(‘I\' teehiiolog} :tx at medium l'or hix \xork. uxiue xurxeilltuiee etuuerux to take iiiitigex oI puhlie Ioeutioux tllltI the people p;ixxiug through them. monitoring: thexe xptieex and bringing: the iuediuted outxide into the puller} xptiee. In 'Seen'. l‘or extuuple. etunerux reeord the iuo\euieut :ind xtuxix ol' the people ttlltI huildingx puxxing throuin and defining; ;i eit}xe;ipe. Rokeh} lirxt e\|iihited the pieee tit the \euiee Iiientitile oi .t\rehiteeture in Illill. ;it the (';iii;idi;iu I’;i\iIIiou. where he reeorded uethit} on the xti'eet outxide oi) the I’i;t//;t Stilt \Itit‘eo. 'I‘he durk ere} und \\hite pm in; xtouex ;ieted it\ :i grid for the xinuoux. \\;iter_\ linex thut hodiex puxxing throuin lel't in the xtiutu‘e; pzile uurzix l'ollou in; the pedextriunx ;ix the} huxtled through the xpuee.

'.\I;iehine l’or 'I‘uking IIIHC' illllll l. origintiII} eoiuiuixxioned h} ()tik\il|e (ILIIIL‘I'IL‘\. iii\o|\ex reeording equipment. \xhieh ix mounted outxide the building ttlILI eontrolled h} it pun/tilt ineehtinixiu. Siuee I .\I;ireh liltll the x_\ xteui hux heen reeording iinugex ol' the xurrounding ureti.

'I‘hix ongoing xur\eill;inee proieet l'indx le wt} to the ('(‘.I\. xo woe and dunee like it ehild LII I)i\on‘x \xiudou the neu time _\ou \KttIIx doun Suttehiehull Street. puxt the gtlIICl‘}-;l\-[itilittpllettli. Rokeh} ix \xtitehing )ou.

David Rokeby: Silicon Remembers Carbon, CCA, Glasgow, until Sat 15 Sep.

Visual Art >l<

Ilit

THE BEST EXHIBITIONS

* David Rokeby - Silicon Remembers CarbonThe Canadian-born installation artist brings a collection of interactive works together to create his first major Scottish show and retrospective at the CCA. Work on show includes the pioneering sound installation ‘Very Nervous System'. and his explorations of CCTV and surveillance ‘Seen' and ‘Taken'. CCA, Glasgow, until Sat 75 Sep.

>I= Roderick Buchanan - Histrlonlcs A series of works by Glasgow-based artist Roderick Buchanan, examining the city's sectarian divide. Buchanan employs photography and film to demonstrate the similarities between both sides (Catholic and Protestant). using his own personal history as a way of understanding the long history of hate that still runs through the city. Gallery of Modern Art, Glasgow, until Sun 28 Oct.

II! Mike Marshall Marshall uses video and photography to examine seemingly ordinary or overlooked aspects of human activities and experience. His interest in ‘focused daydreaming' has resulted in a remarkable exhibition of his works that focus on the inconsequential and banal. Paisley Museum, Glasgow, until Tue 30 Sep.

* Six Cities Design Festival: The Scottish Show 2007 A selection of inspirational designs by 34 designers based in Scotland. Highlights include hairstyles captured on film by Leigh Ferguson, 3 non- denominational public space for contemplation by Hill, Jophson and Robb, and AutumnNVinter fashion by Olanic. The Lighthouse, Glasgow, until Sun 12 Aug.

THE LIST 39