- Pigs and butterflies challenge complex systems
- Art for Sisyphus
- A call for piggeries
EDITORIAL
The 'Butterfly Effect' provided 'Chaos Theory' with a beautiful illustration for its research into complex systems. It implies that the fluttering of a butterfly's wings in Tokyo can precipitate a chain of effects that will produce a storm in Chicago.I can vividly imagine how a butterfly lifts off gently from a golden chrysanthemum, and I can also picture how a lightning bolt thunders into a powerline, sending a suburb into darkness. What happens in between, however, is beyond my knowledge. It doesn't matter, since the 'Butterfly Effect' is foremost poetry, and does not have to be taken literally. It serves scientists by illustrating the sensitivity of complex systems, and gives artists the hope that small things make big things grow.
For PIGVISION, which has one foot in pig science and the other in fine arts, the challenge was set to link pigs rather than butterflies with a complex system, using state-of-the-art technology while retaining the poetic meaning.
PORCONTROL (Pig Operated Remote Control) was chosen as the name for the project, which is being planned and organised in collaboration with creative cybernerds from http://www.visionen.ch. Our basic objective is to install a pedestrian traffic light button in a piggery in Australia, and link it via the internet with a set of traffic lights in Europe. During a 24 hours action, which will be run in conjunction with an art festival or symposium, pigs in Australia will effectively stop (some) traffic in Europe.
PORCONTROL's challenge will be to motivate people into collaboration. The planning is still in its infancy, and expressions of interest are sought from people with skills in information technology, multimedia and marketing. Please have a look at the project's homepage at: http://www.visionen.ch/porcontrol/ and feel free to comment.
Yours sincerely,
Raymond Rohner
WHAT'S NEW:
Art for Sisyphus
Circles have fascinated the human mind for thousands of years. They convey an aura of perfection, which is why a sphere, made up of an infinite number of circles, deserves even more admiration. PIGVISION's wooden sphere is completed, and with its 50 kg weight, can be rolled slowly across the ground. As announced in the last bulletin, the wooden sphere will be used for a research project on pig exploratory behaviour, titled "Spinning a Yarn with Sisyphus". New photographs and more explanations show how the investigation unfolds. Please check PIGVISION's website at: http://www.artschool.utas.edu.au/pigvision/sisyphus.html
A call for piggeries
PIGVISION is looking for pig farmers and pig scientists who share the enthusiasm for research with a difference, and are happy to host simple experiments on their piggery. At the moment the search focusses on farms in Victoria (Australia), but with a number of internet projects ahead, pig farmers anywhere in the world are invited to express their interest in writing to Raymond Rohner at mailto://rrohner@ozemail.com.au or: PIGVISION, PO Box 523, Melbourne VIC 8007, Australia. In return for your collaboration, you will be rewarded appropriatly, and receive free help and advice on how to use the internet to your best.
_____________________________________________________________________________
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
PIGVISION, PO Box 523, Melbourne VIC 8007, Australia
PIGVISION's Homepage:
http://www.artschool.utas.edu.au/pigvision/
PIGVISION seeks and promotes the refinement of artistic aspects in research. The purpose for which PIGVISION is established is:
- to maintain a portfolio of concrete research projects, set within the field of pig science, which give evidence of PIGVISION's mission and philosophy.
- to foster active debate about the relationship between art and science.
- to develop and engage in collaborations with artists, scientists and people from other fields.