Cover Image Smigla-Bobinski K, ADA (2011)
Watch the following videos about artists Roman Ondak and Karina Smigla-Bobinski who affect space and the way it is experienced through drawing.
Tate, TateShots: Roman Ondak, Measuring the Universe (2012) Vimeo .
Karina Smigla-Bobinski, ADA by Karina Smigla-Bobinski (2011) YouTube .
Which work do you prefer and why? Much of Ondak’s work seems to be preoccupied with social relations and humanity as a socially organising system. Smigla-Bobinski’s ADA kinetic drawing machine seems to be focused much more on the phenomena of space, walls and marks. Some viewers have even been drawn on by the machine themselves as they got in the way, while others try to grab it and alter its course.
OK, so. I grew up in the 1980’s and I loved/love Indiana Jones movies – especially the parts where he’s about to be lanced by enclosing walls full of spikes, or running towards a tiny exit to get away from the giant ball that’s going to crush him to death. If you’ve watched the above links, you know where Im going with this.
Karina’s installation is a huge ball, with charcoal spikes that’s randomly bouncing around a cubic room leaving a trail of marks as it pings its way, this way and that. But that is not all it’s doing. No. You’re allowed to grab it. Fun.
There’s ballerinas coming in and dancing with it, ladies in Burkas and blue plastic shoe covers doing cool circular chanting, kids and old people getting squashed by it, a (foolish) lady in a white suit cowering in the corner as it threatens her threads, and one man looks likes he’s asking it for a fight.
Due to the shape of the room and the balls continued trajectory, it repeatedly makes marks on the same parameters of the 4 walls, creating Rothko x Cy Twombly like murals. These marks have the essence of time and memory, rhythm and pressure. The history of its path is quite informative. The marks are more dense on the corners and ceiling, which tells us a little about it’s chemistry.
It’s very stoic. No matter how dominant the ‘grabbers’ are, it always retains its nature. You can’t actually get it to do what you want, no matter how much you force it. There is an inherent nature to the marks it can make. Which is quite philosophical.
And it can’t get out. For all it’s bouncing we are safe from its threats of bouncing down the Thames. The lady in the white suit is safe.
Fig.1 Ondak R, Measuring The Universe (2022)
Roman however has a much friendlier approach. Everyone is invited (again) to interact with his project. Writing their name in correspondence to their height around the room. After about 1000 people have done this it starts to look like something from the galaxies in Star Wars (keeping the 80’s movies theme going here). It’s nice and uniting, and all involved are having fun, until signature 1001 when you have to start writing over peoples names because we’re overpopulated especially at 5ft 4″ Then it takes a darker turn and makes you think about how we are whirling about in space, our existence a mere moment, until we are snuffed out. But then back to something more uplifting, as my PE teacher in her towelling shorts and 80’s perm always used to say, “let’s end on a good note kids”. The act of leaving your mark, and being a part of something is quite cosmic. The energy that runs around the walls of the room, is collective and inspiring.
The two exhibitions are a balance of science and creativity.
Practical information and human spirit
Manipulation and limitations
Existence and transience
Which do I prefer? Indiana Jones, the ball wins.
List of Images
Cover Image Smigla-Bobinski, K. (2011) ADA. [Installation, photo edited with Hipstamatic] At:https://www.ignant.com/2017/11/16/ada-by-karina-smigla-bobinski/ (Accessed 02/08/2024).
Fig.1 Ondak, R. (2022) Measuring The Universe. [Installation] At:https://www.art-collection-telekom.com/en/news/roman-ondak-measuring-the-universe (Accessed 02/08/2024).