kinetica 2013

its been a while since i updated my blog, nonetheless stuff did happen. two of my pieces got sold to davidoff for an international cigarette campaign. I also stopped beeing a freelancer and got a job with john jones ( they make fancy picture frames and stuff). And of course there was this years kinetica that i took part in.

Just as last year did i make loads of new contacts and enjoyed the fair vibe. I am in touch with a few museums and galleries that are interested to show my work over the next year. i'll keep you posted about any news!

  

http://www.artlyst.com/articles/kinetica-art-fair-returns-with-its-5th-fair-for-london

http://www.momardi.com/kinetica-art-fair-the-future-of-art-and-technology

http://www.kinetica-artfair.com/?blog/2013/02/06/exhibitor-5-alexander-berchert.html

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ac8TCChw9EY

http://galleriaclic.wordpress.com/2013/03/14/bercherts-kinetic-readymades/

http://highlike.org/alexander-bercherts/

http://collabcubed.com/2013/05/08/alexander-berchert-kinetic-sculpture/

light cubes

another piece inspired by the ordinary.
ice cube trays, light box, polyester resin, pigments.

kinetica fundraiser

summer is definitely finished and the studio is up and running. time to get productive and show some art, it's been a while.

the kinetica museum organised a fund raiser to promote emerging artists and to support the kinetica art fair, uk,s biggest platform for kinetic art. It was held in two locations in shoreditch over a 2 week period and included performances,2d and 3d work.

the private view was at 'downstairs at mothers', a super trendy advertising agency in redchurch street. we had many visitors, press and loads of fun. a very cool location. even the wall paper  in the bath rooms was screen-printed. cool or what?

the second venue was 'village underground', a building with two train cars on top. an amazing space  with a raw feel and huge ceilings. i knew this place before from the moniker art fair and felt quite flattered to show my stuff there. 

the performances were great, the kinetica museum raised money, and there even was a 3 course meal!all in all a fantastic event.

http://thecreatorsproject.com/en-uk/blog/kinetic-sound-performances-featuring-giant-robots-and-levitating-holographic-sculptures

http://www.fadwebsite.com/2012/10/27/dont-miss-kinetica-at-village-underground-this-sunday-monday/

http://www.china.org.cn/video/2012-10/18/content_26833341.htm

http://www.kinetica-museum.org/news/latest-info/kinetica-auction-exhibition.html

http://on.aol.com/video/art-in-motion--blending-science--hi-tech-and-art-517508064

summer break

it has been a long summer full of travelling and fun. after graduating in may i felt that i needed a break.many things happened since then. i moved into a new studio, which is amazing and just around the corner. it took a while to shop around and get all the equipment together but im almost there. the first project that i tackled in my new workshop was the restoration of a kayak.its a wooden 2-seater that i found rotten on the side of the canal. loads of work had to be done,including sanding,rebuilding the frame work, replacing panels,laminating and painting. it took about 2 months in total to restore it. a nice little summer project. thanks to stu and ellis for their help:)

a new sculpture


its been 6 months since i first exhibited my 'kinetic prototypes' at 'nifty',a co-show with mate stu. back then there was so little time and so much to do. we managed to put up a show but the lack of time meant compromising quality in the works. on the private view of nifty, my water wheel sculpture didn't turn because i burnt the motor. the toaster pyramid didn't work either because the fuses kept popping. lets say, there was generally room for improvement.


since then i overhauled all of my works. i made the assembly easier, bought new, better parts and built crates. i learned from the last 5 shows i had that it is best to be prepared and to do stuff properly. remember, hindsight is not a superpower!


below is a documentation of the progress of my latest work from prototype to finished work. it took nearly 4 months from idea to executed piece. it was mainly research and ordering parts, the rest craft and assembly.


so far i don't have a title for the work but i can tell you what inspired me to do it. a lady bird. if you have ever been lucky enough to have one on your hand, you will realise how it tries to walk in one direction, trying to get off your hand. funny enough it is very easy to fool the lady bird and make it walk forever. you simply put one hand in front of another, creating a rotating path. once you stop, the bug reaches the edge of your hand and usually flies away. i found it fascinating how this creature kept moving forward, hoping it would arrive somewhere, clueless about his wasted efforts. i felt the symbolism in this paradox was very strong and i tried to think of a way to communicate this in a simplified, mechanical way.


the sculpture consists of a ping pong ball and a drum with guttering trails that is mounted on a table and attached to a motor. the drum spins at 6 rpm in an anti clockwise motion, creating a consistent spin. the ball, which is a victim to gravity rolls down the trails, attempting to reach the bottom but the ever revolving drum of trails keeps spinning and the ball is stuck in a rolling limbo.