Mixed Greens, Glow Room Project Space
531 West 26th Street, 212-331-8888
Chelsea
November 18, 2010 - January 8, 2011
Reception: Saturday, November 20, 6 - 8 PM
Web Site
Mixed Greens is pleased to present a dynamic window installation by Alexander Reyna in collaboration with the Creative Technologist Heidi Hysell. LoveHateNow is a constantly evolving, real-time, mixed media triptych exploring the mood of New York City through live internet feeds.
Until this point, Mixed Greens’ windows have presented static images addressing subject matter ranging from the transcendent to the pictorially sublime. Reyna breaks from this tradition by incorporating sound, video, and various live elements into an installation tackling the nuanced subject matter of public opinion. Viewers will witness a constantly changing landscape of numbers, words, and images projected onto an algorithmically generated triptych. Using processing software and Reyna’s own calculating logic, the piece streams information from the The New York Times, the local weather report, Twitter, and other sources. The result is a snapshot that changes based on the minute-to-minute information it receives. As the mood in the city brightens, so will the Mixed Greens windows.
Reyna’s past work has included drawing, video, painting, and printmaking. It has always been concerned with layered elements, multiple perspectives, and the combination of high and low. Even when the work is technologically complex, his hand is still evident through drawing and an often quirky combination of elements. While elaborate computer coding and automation is involved in this window installation, the result is a visualization of emotion and mood that defies classification and a linear narrative. The windows will become tidal pools of real-time data, brewing infinitely diverse impressions and interpretations.
Alexander Reyna was born in Africa and came to the United States when he was six. He received his MFA from Pratt Institute and maintains a studio in Brooklyn, NY. He has shown in solo exhibitions in New York City and galleries worldwide. His work has been featured in venues including the Chelsea Art Museum in Manhattan, the Cheekwood Art Museum in Nashville, the Everson Art Museum at Syracuse University, Rocket Projects in Miami, SPACES Gallery in Cleveland, and Universities throughout the world. Reyna has been featured and reviewed in outlets including New York Arts Magazine, The Village Voice, NPR, and Animal Magazine. In his spare time, Reyna is a Creative Director and is faculty at the School of Visual Arts.
Heidi Hysell has focused most of her professional career in entertainment technology, where she has launched a wide range of projects from the ground up. Much of her experience includes mobile, online video projects and online community development. Outside of her commercial work, she spends her free time exploring the intersection of art, engineering, and the human condition.
This project would not be possible without help from Reza Ali (www.syedrezaali.com) who contributed to front end visuals.