Next stop, Cirque du Soleil
In the age of all things digital, Concordia alumna Erin Gee, MFA 14, engages technology in her artworks – a meld of biology and robotics.
Gee will have several of her works featured at Cirque du Soleil’s headquarters in Saint-Michel. The exhibit, organized by Eastern Bloc – a Montreal-based art centre specializing in the digital medium – will curate.
“A lot of my works at this exhibit feature technologies inspired by the human body,” says Gee. A fellow Concordian, PhD student Kelly Andres, will also have her work featured.
The exhibition is part of the company’s cultural action program, an initiative that promotes local artistic talent while nurturing creativity in the corporate workspace.
Cirque du Soleil asked Eastern Bloc to find two emerging artists that work in the digital medium to mount the exhibit.
“Bloc has an open lab that I use. I think they became aware of my work when the awarded me a residency in 2013. I’ve been using their space quite a lot,” says Gee.
Gee notes that setting up shop at Cirque’s headquarters presents some challenges.
“The works need to be tested. They’ll be running eight hours a day for several months.”
The exhibit is slated to launch at the end of August, when the company’s 4,000 employees can view Gee’s art.
Gee, who opted for an Open Media concentration as a graduate student, notes the vital role the university played in her artistic development.
“I think it’s one of the best programs to study electronic art,” says Gee. “Hexagram-Concordia is a hub for individuals working in this medium.”
Erin Gee, MFA 14 | Photo by: Christie Vuong
Gee’s artwork “Formants” will be featured at the exhibit | Photo by: Erin Gee
“Swarming emotional pianos,” is a collaboration with neuroscientist Vaughn Macefield | Photo by: erin Gee
Hexagram-Concordia is a matrix of research centres, spanning three of Concordia’s faculties. There, students and researches from varied disciplinary backgrounds intersect.
Gee says the works she will be displaying at Cirque du Soleil include: “Formants,” which are wigs that sing opera when brushed with a comb, “Larynx”, a series of prints based off the human throat, and “Swarming Emotional Pianos,” which consists of robots that play music.
These works can be viewed on Gee’s website, www.eringee.net.
Gee received international attention when she collaborated with Vaughan Macefield, an Australian neuroscientist. The two designed machines that can sing human emotions.
Gee was recognized as 2013 Graduate Research Communicator of the Year at inaugural Concordia Media Outreach Awards for her research examining the impact of music on the brain.