An interactive computer art project as part of the Folly Gallery Interventions program.

The following images are from a second world war bunker at Hornby, Lancashire. A sound reactive shape was projected onto the wall. The shape was made in MAX and is a three dimensional object with a film of the outside of the bunker playing on the surface. The shape zooms in and out depending on sound levels. I (Anthony Padgett) intervene on the image dressed in an interreligious disco costume.

Divine? INTERVENTIONS

I interpret the notion of interventions as taking a combination of art and technology and using it in a public setting where it is not normally used.

I also have a personal interest in the notion of Divine? Interventions. I suggest that these are a) post-modern, technological simulations of religious experiences or b) the use of references to the divine in new and unusual contexts.

I am philosophically interested in how technology produces epiphenomena that are supervenient over the modernist materiality. In other words instead of the binary language and inner workings of computers I am interested in the visual/audio appearances that they give.

Scientific perspectives tend to treat humans as biological machines with consciousness as a by product of deterministic, causal brain states. The religious perspectives tend to believe in free-will (rather than determinism) as without free-will there is no notion of morality or faith. Religion entails faith that epiphenomenal will can make real choices and effect (intervene upon) the material world.

I am interested in how technology can aid religious worship and also how worship and prayer can make a real change in the material world. Instead of supervening over matter I want to intervene ("vene" – come, "super" – over, "inter" - between).

I am interested in the surface appearances of a religious perspective (rather than to a mystical or spiritual perspective that underlies reality). I want to intervene in current dogmatic perceptions of religion and re-establish free-thinking and creativity to religion. As a result I want to look at the mix of appearances of different religious and secular perspectives to heighten the sense of the "divine?" as a post-modern consumer commodity.

The intention is to take these technologies into different places of worship. September 2003

Images below are of projections made as part of Blackburn Hindu Community's 30th Anniversary. Projections were used as part of worship and dance in this celebration of a faith community. The rainbow swastika was projected by two VJs I invited, Steve and Simon, as this is a Hindu symbol.