Rachel Beth Egenhoefer- guest artist with TFRC

Axis Access, knit ethernet cable installation, 2007-08.

 

TFRC welcomed Rachel Beth (www.rachelbeth.net)- an Artist in Residence at the University of Brighton, Lighthouse Brighton, Furtherfield London as part of the Arts Council England Initiative, commissioned by Distributed South and curated by SCAN and Space Media- as a guest and had the opportunity to follow the development of her research through group presentations, interviews and workshops.

Egenhoefer’s residency consists of several key parts – experimental studio time, creating new work, and presenting workshops and lectures, all which led up to the commissioned exhibition at Lighthouse Brighton last March, 2008.

Part of the exhibition showcased a new piece made during this residency which develops software that provides motion tracking for knitting needles. Gallery visitors were able to knit in physical space with special motion tracking knitting needles. Egenhoefer described: “the motion from the knitting actions were tracked and translated into a visualization of “knit code” displayed on the web and on screen. The action of engaging or knitting with the piece naturally produced a physical cloth, while it also showed that code is constructed from the same types of patterns to create a type of virtual cloth (or software). Visually the piece reflected our bodily interaction with machines, tracing the circular motion of the needles to our body’s give and take of working at a machine. Cloth is often seen as an element of comfort and protection. Machines are perceived to assist us with advancing technology and communication while they are also harming our bodies with carpel tunnel syndrome, back pain, sore eyes, and other strain as we interact with them. This piece explored that delicate space in-between.”


Additional works in this series also explore the space between body and machine as a place for architectural design. Rachel Beth Egenhoefer's Residency is sponsored in part by the Arts Council England Initiative, commissioned by Distributed South, curated by SCAN and Space Media.

 

Residency Itinery

Visiting Artist Workshop
University of Wales, Newport
February, 11-13, 2008

Distributed South Networking Meeting
South Hill Park Arts Centre, Bracknell
March 7, 2008

Textile Futures Salon, ICA, 'Candy & Code'.
A discussion with Rachel Beth Egenhoefer, Barbara Rauch & Nicola Naismith
Institute of Contemporary Art (ICA) London
Textile Futures Research & Consultancy
March 17, 2008


Knit Where, new work & interactions of physical and virtual knitting
Lighthouse Brighton
www.lighthouse.org.uk
Exhibition: March 18 – April 5, 2008
March 20, 27, 2008

Artist In Residence
Furtherfield London
www.furtherfield.org
April 2008

Notices