Formations, Short Film, 2011.

Formations is a short film created with the use of software code. While traveling through real data satellite imagery and traversing constructs of synthetic cloud formations, the audience is invited to play the role of an astronaut, observing slow changing audio and visual textures on various macro and micro scale levels in an alienated but familiar setting. see more

groundpulse, Object, 2009.

coil
stopper for the coil base
magnets
screws
weight
construction plates
damper
iron wire for hanging
base for the coil
pivot with a beam
arduino
usb cable

groundpulse
'groundpulse' is syntfarm's new mobile unit that enables artists to perform with impulses gathered from the movement of the ground. The design of 'groundpulse' is based on the Lehman's seismometer principle. The unit is capable of detecting movements of the ground including: long distance earthquakes or short distance impulses produced by human bodies.

By exploring translations of soil movements into a synthetic world of real time visualization, syntfarm are developing a system, which can be used to enhance and make the experiences of natural environments more accessible to others. On display during ISEA09 in Belfast, Ireland at the SPARK exhibition.

Synthazards is featured in 'Smart Surfaces' a book for everyone who wishes to be inspired by the possibilities for innovative surface technologies. Edited by Thorsten Klooster and published by Birkhaeuser.

Exhibition Duration
Wed, 18 Feb -
Tue, 19 May 2009

Venue
Lasalle Building
1 McNally Street, Singapore

Installation Singapore 2009
Synthazards are replicas of natural hazards. They are manufactured by using various rapid prototyping techniques, laser cutouts, and algorithms. In this project, Syntfarm are fabricating the following: earthquake, drought, whirlpool, lightning, volcano, tsunami, tornado and lava. The objects are celebrating mostly formal aspects of these phenomena. What is apparent in fabrications is a unique synthetic form, which is given-by algorithms and inscribed in the language of prototyping machines. Hosted by ICAS, the Institute of Contemporary Arts Singapore.
take a look.

Syntboutique, Installation, Singapore 2008.

Syntboutique is a project by Syntfarm produced during the AIR program of ISEA08.

Syntboutique is a result of a trip and visit to Mongolian grasslands, steppes, desert, mountains and lakes. The mission was to find a number of objects/artifacts/living organisms that are of great importance for people living independently of information technologies, electrical energy, and consumerism; and to present those in art context. It is a specialized showroom that collects recipes, methods, myths and platforms for sustainable lifestyles that we are not used to. take a look.

Syntboutique, Objects, Singapore 2008.

Syntboutique objects were found on various sites in Mongolia. They were photographed and later with Syntfarm's custom written software used to generate 3d objects. These digital replicas were used to fabricate objects with rapid prototyping machine. In their synthetic forms, the objects released most of their 'meta' content. Their historical, cultural, economical or any other values were extracted and disconnected from them. The objects' meta content was showcased in commercials and tv-ad-style glorifications of the found artifacts. With various imperfections of the technologies used, they got new life and context.

Field Trip, Mongolia, 2008.

20.06.2008. journal excerpt
"...after passing a steep mountain pass, we had to hurry up to get to the lake on time. we would ask for directions and various people that we've met would spare their good 15-20 minutes to try to help us. we continued drifting and it was 10:30pm when we didn't see a single sign, direction or a human for already three hours..."

Rojak 10, Presentation, Singapore 2007.

December 1st. During the 10th rojak event in singapore, syntfarm gave a presentation about their journeys and explorations in nature. rojak 10, a quarterly held art & design sharing session, was a special edition focusing on collaborations during the singapore design festival 2007. during the presentation, syntfarm gave an insight into the derivation and motivation of their work and the processes behind their performances.

Prague soil, Installation. Prague 2007.

Strelecky island
50,04'51.14"
14,24'36.38"

Holeckova ulice
palyground
50,04'24.93"
14,23'29.40"

Stadion Strahov
50,04'48.38"
14,23'02.30"

Vitezne namesti
parking
50,06'04.41"
14,23'45.45"

Olsanske graveyard
50,04'42.45"
14,27'46.35"

Narodni muzeum
50,04'42.86"
14,25'51.24"

frantiskanska zahrada
park in the center of the city
50,04'54.86"
14,25'26.06"

During the 3rd international festival for arts, sciences and technologies enter3 in Prague, we installed a soil moisture sensor which was connected to the visualization interface written in processing. 7 soil samples were taken from different locations in Prague, and were referenced with their GPS coordinates. The soil moisture sensor was displayed as one of the interfaces we added to an assortment of our performance instruments. Together with the sensor and 7 petri-dish that included Prague Soil samples, there was a video that documents our previous explorations.

Multiplex, Video. 2007.

a 12 minutes video documentation of syntfarm's explorations since its start in april 2007, narrated by andre ahchak.

Excerpt
In 1974, French biologist Francois Jacob, published a text titled "Le Modele Linguistique en Biologie" In Critique, no. 322, where he stated: "Genetic material has two roles: it must be reproduced in order to be transmitted to the following generation, and it must be expressed in order for it to determine the organism's structures and functions." listen and watch.

Ad-hoc performance. Singapore 2007.

syntfarm did one ad hoc installation-performance whereby all the instruments used and data gathered from the group's trips were presented in a gallery space. The audience walked through the installation, which was also a performance stage, and browsed through the notebooks from their trips, checking out syntfarm's official clothing, their instruments that they use for performances, and interacting with the whole system. This event helped artists to start thinking about a very specific role and participation of the audience and their education with the use of interfaces like soil quality sensors, water pollution instruments, air pollution detection instruments as new interfaces for their future installation- performances.

Dislocate, Performance. Yokohama 2007.

performance tools include
2 screen projection
1 sound system
2 laptops
1 tripod
1 flash light
2 performers

The idea for the performance was to relive and express the moments and discoveries during the reef-walk at kusu. a new sound engine was written in java, which was combined with the previous drum machine software. one projection consisted of photographs which were tagged by their locations and time (the information about where and when the pictures were taken were also displayed in sync with the photos on the screen) following the video documentation of the life forms. next to this was a projection of our journal and various synthetic forms which revealed some of the discoveries from the intertidal landscape. Image by emma ota, more image are archived in the dislocate flickr group

Fuji basalt, Hiking. Tokyo 2007.

On july 27th 2007, we walked on the fuji mountain. we arrived at 1:20pm local time and started on 2300m above sea level. air is thin and sharp. the soil is volcanic. we are walking on the inner parts of the earth's gut that erupted in 1708 during the edo period. there are several layers in its strata. new fuji is believed to be formed around 10,000 years ago on top of the old fuji which dates around 100,000 years. also, its basalt layer is about several hundred thousand years old and when you walk on this active strato-volcano, you constantly feel, inhale, and are aware of fuji's dust and it is a bit hard to breathe. the wind is making it cold. mist. we are in the cloud almost non stop. then, it's gone. sunshine and the wind. rocks are slippery.

Instruments, Software. 2007.

syntfarm has created a range of software based instruments for their performances which will be available for download in the near future. instruments are written in the programming environment processing.

Kusu, Walking. Singapore 2007.

our first task was to create a system that would be able to store data, enable its tactile use, and share the performances for other people's reinterpretations and uses. at this stage, we have a digital instrument which enables us to perform and interpret levels of the complexity and infinite layering of impulses from the forest.

Bukit Timah Cicada, Performance. Singapore 2007.

performance tools include
1 large screen projection
1 robust sound system
2 laptops
1 joystick
2 performers

the visuals and the audio software are written in processing and are preferably performed on an os x system.

Bukit Timah, Hiking. Singapore 2007.

our first task was to create a system that would be able to store data, enable its tactile use, and share the performances for other people's reinterpretations and uses. at this stage, we have a digital instrument which enables us to perform and interpret levels of the complexity and infinite layering of impulses from the forest.