Experimenta Playground is unambiguously fun, a collection of highly interactive artworks that are just waiting to be viewed, touched and played with.  In keeping with Experimenta’s focus on the creative use of new technologies, one of the highlights of the Melbourne premiere was Shu Lea Cheang’s Baby Love: Drive Me Drive Me Crazy installation.  The artwork is reminiscent of the Disneyland spinning teacup ride where visitors can climb into teacups and control their movement by spinning a wheel in the middle of the cup.  Only in this ride, you’re sitting next to an oversized silicon baby and each time you spin the wheel a new love song plays.  A wifi art installation, it enables visitors to upload mp3 songs to an Internet database where they can be transmitted to the babies and teacups.

 As an exhibition, Experimenta Playground draws its strength from its diversity and some artworks are delightfully simplistic.  In one corner of the exhibition, a collection of wooden numbers and shapes sit on the screen of an overhead projector.  Created by Golan Levin and Zachary Lieberman, the Manual Input Station creates bold and bright pink projections against the wall. Unexpectedly, when the shapes are touched and moved the artwork comes to life, each touch prompts a xylophonic type noise, making it sound like raining lollies.  The artwork is deceptively lo-fi and on closer inspection the analogue overhead projector is synced up to customized software and a video projector.  Even the illuminated Emergency Exit sign is in on the fun, with Japanese artist Naoto Fukasawa animating the male pictogram, freeing him from his conventionally static pose and allowing him to run, dance and jump.

 In its exploration of play, technology and creativity, Experimenta Playground has succeeded in creating a unique space that challenges established and largely commodified concepts of play.  As adults, play is often synonymous with the concept of leisure, with shopping centers, bars and music festival; commonly identified key leisure activities.  But in these environments we already have expectations – of what we will see, do and often buy.  Experimenta Playground is decidedly refreshing, a space where surprise and innovation are paramount and it is unsurprising that during its four-week stint in Melbourne, some 44,000 people visited.

Liz Hughes has been the Artistic Director of Experimenta for the last six years and has drawn on her extensive experience in film, digital media and arts management to produce fresh, technologically experimental and emotionally engaging exhibitions.  Here she answers questions about creating Experimenta Playground.

In curating the exhibition did you find the concept of play was something foreign to adults?

Play as a concept is familiar to everyone. However it is usually associated with kids or sometimes with naughty adults that aren’t taking life seriously.  It’s not so much that the concept of play is something foreign to adults, it’s more that adults need to be reminded of the importance of play.  Play is behind creativity, which is in turn vital to innovation and the development of the technological devices that we use in our daily lives. When we play, we act and this action is essential in our lives, not only within games and entertainment, but as an attitude to life.  It is an attitude that keeps us reinventing, re-imagining and recreating.

Did you feel the need to redefine play for adults – considering play is often related to consumption and competitive sports?

I suppose rather than redefine the notion of play we tried to offer an alternative to what is usually considered play or ‘leisure time’ for adults.  We wanted to offer experiences that adults wouldn’t usually encounter in their daily routines and to celebrate the importance of play in life for things like creativity, innovations and education amongst others.

Our aim was to find excellent artworks that engage with the theme of play and then we also explored the extremities of the theme. The works reference a number of aspects of everyday life including leisure activities such as sport, hand-held games and travel but they reference these leisure activities in a playful way to once again give audiences a fresh perspective on everyday activities.

How important are the volunteers in facilitating the exhibition?

Their contribution is essential to the success of the exhibition as they ensure that visitors engage with the exhibition as it is meant to be experienced.  As the exhibition offers an environment that is different to most exhibition environments, the staff and volunteers play a critical role in maintaining the right environment in the exhibition and giving the audience permission to interact with the work.

What has the feedback from the exhibition been like?

We have had excellent and enthusiastic feedback about the exhibition from 99.9% of visitors.  In Melbourne we had 44,043 visitors to the main exhibition alone with a number of visitors returning three or four times to see the show.

National Tour Dates

CarriageWorks, Sydney:: 8 May-7June 08
Samstag Museum of Art, Adelaide ::30 Aug- 17 Oct 08
WA Museum, Perth:: 15 Nov 08 - 1 Feb 09
Bendigo Art Gallery, Victoria :: 25 April - 7 June 09
Albury Library Museum, 25 July- 7 Sept 09

Image:

 Experimenta Playground installation view, the Arts Centre Melbourne, September 2007.

Image by Etheired the Unusual

Courtesy of Creative Commons