 |
PROGRAM | PUBLIKACJE | INFO | ENGLISH | ||
 |
|
|
|
|
|
JANEK SIMON
|
| Janek Simon (born 1977) gets inspired by scientific theories and models as well as such disciplines like geography or economics whose functions and specifics are subject to constant civilization changes. Simon's objects often take a form of visualizations based on mathematical formulas and statistical data. At the same time, experimental and anarchical dimension of his works articulates clash between scientific theories and reality of everyday life, sociological phenomena and politics. Many of his art pieces contain complex electronic systems created according to the Do it Yourself philosophy - made from scratch by the artist. Artist, who consciously keeps on searching for practices and strategies alternative to the contemporary culture of mass production and prevailing system of artistic production. | |||
>> download portfolio in PDF format (7 MB) | |||
 |
Time-space compression of the Atlantic region, 2010, 2 objects, pinewood, enamel Two objects which are made up of models of trade relations and their development in the Atlantic region, as well as the times needed to cross the ocean - how these were changing from the 15th c. to 19th c. |
||
 Tristes Tropiques, 2009, centrefold of a book, lacquer, bindi A centrefold from the famous book by Claude Levi-Strauss [Tristes Tropiques] analysed with the use of a tool for examining eyeball movement. The artist follows the young anthropologist's observations and his disenchantment with the European model of culture, pointing at the automatic and unreflective homogenization of contemporary global civilization. The colour dots, indicating where to focus one's eyesight on photographs from the book by Levi-Strauss, are self-adhesive bindi - a traditional symbol Indian women wear on the forehead - which the artist bought during one of his trips to India. |
|||
 |
Volkswagen transporter T3 painted in random colors, 2008, VW Transporter A VW transporter T2 was painted in random colours. Every single visible piece was seperately painted in a different , randomly selected color. A custom upholstery was also made - each part form a different fabric. |
||
Home-made Electronic Watch, 2005, Custom electronics, plexiglass case An experiment on aquiring knowledge from the internet. The artist realized that his practice would be impossible without the internet because he produces everything by himself and quite often has to learn new skills to produce pieces. With the internet it is really easy.
|
|||
|
|
Polish cultural season on Madagascar, 2004, Interactive installation A reaserch project, exhibition and trip to Madagascar. The project dealt with issues of polish colonial ideology from the 30's, official cultural propaganda now and 18th century pirate adventure. |
||
Walking bread, 2007, Custom robotics, loaf of bread A modified hexapod robotic kit carrying a dried loaf of bread. The bread walks around and avoids obstacles. | |||
Untitled (a battery), 2006, a vintage battery, blinking LED "I found a battery from the late 70's on a flee market in Warsaw. It turned out to still have some traces of power inside. I discharged the battery through a blinking red LED as a piece for a show about Polish-Russian relations and communism nostalgia.'' |
|||
|
Chinese calculator, 2006 modified Unitra calculator A reverse engineered calculator. The calculator was made to give false results - to increase results by 7%, which is just below the perception limit. The piece was inspired by a real stroy from China. The artist was cheated by black market moneychangers with a tweaked calculator there. The calculator would give slightly altered results in favor of the changer. Calculator + the holiday house, 2006, Balsa model, text A balsa wood model of the artist summer holiday house from the childhood created using the cheating calculator. All the calculations involved in building of the model were made with the calculator. "I went to China for holidays in the year 2000. While changing money on the black market I was cheated with a tweaked calculator. The calculator was giving slightly altered results, all in favour of the moneychangers. I decided to recreate the calculator as a piece for my show "Fire in the Firebrigade Headquaters in CCA Zamek Ujazdowski in 2006". After half a year of constant travel I ended up doing a residency in San Francisco. I took the calculator with me. While there I decided to make a model of a house i used to go for holidays as a kid. All the calculations involved in the creation of the model were made with the calculator." |
||
Robot VJ mixing channels 1 and 2, 2007, Custom robotics, 2 aerial antenas, 2 VHS Players, video mixer, 2 Tv sets A video mixer was motorized with a custom electronic system. It is used to mix two live video feeds comming straight from the air - channel 1 and 2. These were the only tv channels during artsit's childhood in communist Poland. The piece appropriates two layers of artists past - the childhood and the time when he was a VJ(video jockey) on the emerging club scene in Poland. The mixer generates lo-fi 90's special effects like keying and rainbow gradients. |
|||
Biochemical analysis of the holy water, 2005, Holy water ,display case, labolatory analysis results The holy water collected at different churches in Cracow was given to a biochemical laboratory for analysis. The results were exhibited along with a vial of the water. |
|||
|
Carpet Invaders, 2002, interactive installation Carpet Invaders is an interactive instalation. A computer game is projected onto the floor. The gameís graphic is taken from a 19th century caucassian prayer rug. The game is a clone of an early arcade classic - Space Invaders. Ornaments found on the rug turned out to be almost identical as the orginal graphics of the game. The game can be played with a gamepad hanging next to the projection. The sound resembles that of early consoles and eight bit computers. |
||
|
| |||
 | |||
solo exhibitions: 2010 2009 2008 2007 2006 2005 2004 2003
| selected group exhibitions: 2010 2009 2008 2007 2006 2005 2004 2003 2002 | ||
 |
|||
