One of the first artists to attempt to blend technology and art, Rafael Lozano-Hemmer took the world by storm with one of his earliest work, Vectorial Elevation back in 1999. The piece allowed anyone who had a connection to the internet to be able to control any of the 18 seperate searchlights that Rafael had installed on to buildings that surrounded Mexico City’s main square. This idea, which was completely unique and unthought of at the time, was soon copied by others around the world and over the following decades iterations of the original proj
ect have taken place in many European countries, such as France, Spain, Ireland and a similar event also took place in Vancouver during the 2010 Olympic Games.
More recently, Rafael has begun to place mouse clicking with the sound of participants’ heartbeats and their voices. He believes that by giving the public the reigns, he can imagine a new creative landscape which is both interactive and perhaps adds an element of danger from not quite knowing who is going to do exactly what. The art can also be read as a statement into questioning the state’s role in surveillance and control.
