New Media Scotland
~ in the fields
2 August – 2 September 2012
~ in the fields, an Edinburgh based artistic partnership between Nicole Heidtke and Stefan Baumberger, reinvent old media, modifying ancient, odd machines and playing with optical toys.
They found the starting point for this exhibition on the Shetland Islands where their research into oceanic plastic pollution led them to investigate the very elements and definition of Scottish landscape and seascape more closely.
Using new technologies, lace knitting, collected drift wood and plastic, this new body of work created especially for this exhibition takes on the old media of observation, research and (dis)play. In two of their installations, the artists have chosen to make particular reference to the aquariums of Victorian oceanographic scientists and the 16th century bookwheel of Agostino Ramelli.
A third work, Yen to See Distant Places, is a networked sculpture inspired by the 19th century myriorama card game and has been co-commissioned by New Media Scotland and Edinburgh Art Festival. Visitors to the exhibition will be able to create seamless panoramas depicting idealized Scottish landscapes which can then be viewed through a publicly sited tourist telescope located in St. Andrew Square as part of the Festival Promenade commissions programme.
~ in the fields were awarded the inaugural Alt-w Design Informatics residency at the Inspace laboratory in 2012. This exhibition showcases the results of this new annual residency. The Alt-w Fund is managed by New Media Scotland and is supported by Creative Scotland and the Centre for Design Informatics.
The telescope is located in St. Andrew Square, EH2 2AD
1 Crichton Street, EH8 9AB
0131 650 2750
Weds—Sun, 12—8pm
Free admission