"Act/React"

I left the Milwaukee Art Museum a little upset after my experience with Act/React. If watching the DVD in class wouldn’t have spoiled every portion of the exhibit, I think I would have had a much different experience. All of the mystery was gone. All of my opportunities to play and discover were taken away by hearing directly from the artist how they created each piece. Every piece worked just as I expected, but I wish I were coming into the exhibit with a fresh eye.

One of the pieces that I spent a lot of time with was Liz Phillips’ “Echo Evolution.” Unlike some of the other works in the exhibit, the “Echo Evolution” was not as easy to figure out and manipulate. Motion sensors detect movement, which triggers a light on and a sound to occur in the room. I tried to move to different areas in the room to create different sequences of light and sound, but it seemed more random than a predictable pattern. I don’t know what I expected out of this room, but I didn’t feel satisfied with this piece. This room wasn’t as interesting as some of the other pieces, because I feel the person looking at the art has less influence on what will happen.

My favorite work of the exhibit was another piece closed off in a private room. I am referring to the bizarre and sometimes disturbing, “Snow Mirror,” created by Daniel Rozin. This was another piece in the exhibit that I spent a good deal of time with. I was immediately intrigued with this after watching the DVD. I discovered after a while that my reflection in the mirror became clearer as I stood still, without moving my body in the slightest way. I thought some of the visuals created on the screen were breath taking and memorable, as my limbs would blow away like snow if I moved them up or down.

When comparing the two works, “Echo Evolution” and “Snow Mirror,” the first similarity I noticed was the seclusion created by having a private room for each piece. I noticed this with the other pieces closed off in private rooms- it creates a feeling of stepping into another world. By building the walls around the work, it separates the piece from the museum and the other work in the exhibit. When you step into the separate room, you are allowed a more personal experience with the art.

I think a large difference between the two pieces was the visual of the reflection found in “Snow Mirror.” By having the ability to recognize my reflection, I was able to have a closer relationship with the art and identify with the work. When I experienced “Echo Evolution,” I didn’t feel the same connection because I didn’t feel like the piece was acknowledging me like I wanted it to. It was the disconnect from the piece that gave me a feeling I rarely experienced in this exhibit. I felt “Snow Mirror” gave me the opportunity to manipulate and control my experience to an extent, which allowed for more experimentation.

These were just two examples of the work I experienced in the Act/React exhibit. I found the other works of the exhibit to be somewhere in between “Echo Evolution” and “Snow Mirror” in terms of interactivity. I believe the pieces with a more obvious “reflection” provided a more enjoyable experience. I was intrigued with the concept of interactive art and would recommend Act/React to anyone interested in the modern techniques used in art today. I would also recommend not watching the DVD before seeing the exhibit, so the mystery of the art is not compromised.