Cut to Cute: Fact, Form, and Feeling in Digital Animation Reading Reflection
This conversation between art historian Johanna Gosse and artist and filmmaker Peggy Ahwesh focuses on the role of digital animation in experimental film and media. Beginning with a discussion of Ahwesh’s practice of appropriating CGI animated news footage in her recent films, the conversation then broadens to address questions of genre, affect, politics, violence, labor, gender, and finally, the aesthetics of ‘cuteness’ in animation, which they contrast with Sergei Eisenstein’s influential writings on animation, particularly his theorization of ‘plasmatic ness’. They also examine the tension between the factual and the imaginative, and how digital animation can bridge the gap between the two. They also explore the relationship between form and content in animation, and how different techniques and tools can shape the final product.
I think their conversation about Ahwesh’s recent animated films as an expanded installation context is very interesting. The format allows experimentation with different presentation schemes, syncing sound, and physical factors such as the room and lighting. Video installations also offer a play of peripheral vision, allowing the viewer's attention to wander. Ahwesh often includes discrete elements in her installations, such as books, found objects, and iPhones, depending on the piece's themes. She also notes that making single-channel versions of installation videos and vice versa for different platforms is not a problem but a challenge. She has become more accepted as people utilize multiple devices in their daily lives.
In my opinion, the power of installation art lies in its ability to transport the viewer into a whole new world of sensory experiences. Unlike traditional forms of animation that are typically viewed from a screen, installation art invites the audience to step inside and become a part of the artwork itself. Through the use of space, light, sound, and various materials, installation art creates a multi-sensory experience that can be both visually and emotionally captivating. It can evoke a range of feelings, from awe and wonder to confusion and discomfort, and can challenge the viewer's perception of reality. It goes beyond simply being a visual spectacle and instead creates a three-dimensional, interactive element that can transform the viewer's relationship with the artwork.
Ahwesh cites her film Lessons of War as an example of how the single-channel and installation versions can offer strikingly different experiences, with the former being more narrative in character and emotionally charged, while the latter is more diffuse and associative, with viewers calculating the formal qualities of the monitor stack as a sculptural object. It reminds me of TeamLab Borderless’s work, which features immersive installations that use projections and lighting to create interactive environments. Visitors can touch, walkthrough, and even become a part of the art, creating a unique and dynamic experience. Through the use of 3D animation and projection mapping, TeamLab creates dynamic, ever-changing environments that respond to the movement and presence of viewers. Their animations move beyond the two-dimensional screen and extend into physical space, creating a sense of infinite depth and immersion. By breaking down traditional boundaries between art and technology, TeamLab Borderless creates truly unique and unforgettable experiences for its audiences.
I also think Sound is an important element in creating immersive and engaging animations and installations. It can add depth, emotion, and realism to a visual experience, and help create a sense of continuity and flow. In the conversation, Ahwesh also sees the spatialization of sound as a dynamic element of installation in the gallery. The seductive power of sound directs and locates the body in space, changing the viewer's perspective and movement through the space like choreography. In Lessons of War, she used Foley sound recordings to make the movements of the figures more present. In The Blackest Sea and The Falling Sky, she used a haunting orchestral score with dramatic tonal clusters to create a surging, emotional atmosphere. I think another artist that incorporates sound very successfully is Olafur Eliasson. In the installation "The Weather Project" by artist Olafur Eliasson, sound effects and music help create a sense of awe and wonder as viewers enter a simulated sun-filled space.
The Lesson of War: A film by Peggy Ahwesh offers a poignant exploration of the impact of war on the human psyche and the lasting trauma it can leave in its wake.
Lessons of War was made for an exhibition at Microscope Gallery where it was shown as a ‘video sculpture’, in which the film played on a stack of five teetering, off-center TV monitors. The sync would drift over time and the soundtrack was noisy and echoing.
'Reversible Rotation, Flying Beyond Borders - One Stroke, Cold Light' teamLab, 2019, Digital Installation, Sound: Hideaki Takahashi
Installation "The Weather Project" by artist Olafur Eliasson, sound effects and music help create a sense of awe and wonder as viewers enter a simulated sun-filled space.
