Daniel Rozin “Sol”

Bitforms Gallery

[Image: Daniel Rozin "Cracked Mud" (2019)]

bitforms gallery presents its eighth solo exhibition with Israeli-American artist, Daniel Rozin. Sol probes the relationship between the function of natural and mechanical structures. The exhibited works employ a combination of custom software and organic materials to mimic and interact with the viewer’s body in space. Rozin uses mirroring to nurture the mechanisms of performance, calling for the audience to contemplate the reflection of their gestures.

Fabric Mirror (2019) presents a dramatic display of shimmering textiles draped over a mechanical frame. Set in low lighting, the moving fabric radiates like liquid gold or the reflection of a setting sun. Over 400 individual motors respond to an observer by triggering a series of programmed electronics. Pixels sent from a 3D camera inform the motors how to manipulate the plush drapery. The result is a silhouette of the viewer, mediated by hard and soft materials. Continuous motion generates an essential connection between audience and artwork.

The effects of climate change are causing lakes to warm faster than the oceans and air, leading to a vast increase of dried riverbeds. Cracked Mud (2019) emulates this environment with a large-scale floor installation. A barren landscape illuminated by a glowing sun is suddenly transformed into dynamic, undulating motion by sensors that transmit the observer’s gestures into gradual ripples across the ceramic landscape. The work performs as both an interactive and generative experience through programmed periods of activity. Although the artwork is intrinsically mechanical, the rippling effect gracefully echoes the fluidity of nature. Rozin’s ceramic fragments marry the handmade qualities of natural materials with the exactitude of kinetic technology.

Sunset Mirror (2019) is a screen-based software mirror that displays a sunset in a time-lapse sequence. When a viewer approaches the piece, their image is recreated on screen by a manipulation of the sunset. The timing of the sunset can further be controlled by the viewer’s proximity to the screen, allowing the audience to control the sequencing of nature. Fabric Mirror and Sunset Mirror are an extension of Rozin’s Mechanical Mirrors series, where individual installations are programmed to echo the viewer’s movement. Earlier pieces in this series include the iconic Wooden Mirror (1999), Pom Pom Mirror (2015), Penguins Mirror (2015), and Fan Mirror (2013).