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Add your voice to Hive Mind

By administrator | 31 March 2017

Mixed media, recycled copper wire. Hive Mind is more than just a piece of art. It’s an ongoing, community driven art installation, exploring our relationships to each other and experiences of being human. It is about the big and little questions whispered in our minds, the ones with no clear or simple answers and the ones we tend to push to the side and forget.

Hive Mind is the hidden gem of the Digital Futures Lab draped around the room of Truth and Self. You simply pick up the tin can ‘phone’ then  touch the flowers and leaves to listen to a collection of community voices and ideas based on two stimulating questions – ‘When you were younger, what did you wonder about?’ and ‘When you are older, what do you hope for yourself?’.

A gallery visitor listens to the Hive Mind. Photo: Josef Ruckli

A gallery visitor listens to the Hive Mind. Photo: Josef Ruckli

The voices you hear are from all ages. Each person contributed their ideas and voice, and created part of the sculpture during public workshops. The installation continues to grow weekly at Wednesday Play Day in the Lab with the artist, SLQ's very own Amelia Kalifa.

Amelia’s fascination with the intersection between humans and technology has led her to explore interactivity and social practice as a means of ‘being’ and connection. This interaction has often left visitors to the Digital Futures Lab pondering “How does this connection work?”

Every Wednesday, for the last a couple of months, I’ve been fortunate to be a part of this community engagement under Amelia’s guidance. I have learnt direct from the artist herself about the technology known as ‘Makey Makey’ that Hive Mind uses to create a touch sensitive circuit board along with some custom made software. When you touch the sculpture you are actually earthing the circuit which sends a signal to the computer, triggering the audio you hear. Different vines trigger different stories, recreating a community of ideas.

Amelia’s direct artistic guidance and conversations with visitors is both rare and unique when partaking in Wednesday Play Day. It’s always a positive experience and every new flower or leaf installed is unlike no other. Many visitors have already contributed to Hive Mind seeing the installation grow gradually over time.

A copper wire flower made for Hive Mind. Photo: Josef Ruckli

A copper wire flower made for Hive Mind. Photo: Josef Ruckli

To contribute your voice and help the artwork grow, join us in the Digital Futures Lab on Wednesday Play Day, every week from 3pm -6 pm, until 10 May 2017. More info at: /whats-on/calevents/general/digital-futures/digital-futures/lab

For more on Hive Mind: www.ameliakalifa.com/hivemind

#digitalfutures

Nicolasa Martin

Visitor Services Officer, Community Engagement

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