| But from another point of view, this line was something very mysterious. For
it was nothing other than the path of the dancer's soul; and he doubted if
it could be found unless the operator imagines himself at the puppet's
center of gravity - that is, in other words, dance. (from: Über das Marionettentheater, H.v.Kleist)
The term "asymptote" describes a paradox, both in a mathematical and in a metaphorical sense: two elements, e.g. two straight lines, extend endlessly, always moving closer to one another, yet never touching.
The idea for the installation "Asymptote" is based on the essay "Über das Marionettentheater" by Heinrich von Kleist from 1801, involving a dancer, who takes marionettes as his model. A human being is heavy, always needing to rest on the ground, whereas a marionette is light, but it has no sensations, for which it needs human beings. Thus humans attempt to make machines more and more human-like, for instance, or humans try to attain the perfection of a machine. Neither of these can ever really be achieved. Yet just as a human being may breathe a "soul" into a marionette, the marionette can transfer the lightness of its movements to a human being.
In the center of the installation there is a cylinder. A series of thin wires coming out from its surface are connected with three computers. If you pull on the wires, there is a resistance, and an interactive video image with a marionette reacts to the movements of the wires. Marionettes can also resist movement and exercise a counterforce. However, one figure may also interact with another. A little story may even develop as a result. The three marionettes can be operated by several visitors.
Douglas Edric Stanley / USA/F
He studied literature and film at San Francisco State University (BA), has a degree from the University of Paris.
In 1991 he moved to France, where he currently lives as artist-in-residence at the Villa Arson. Since 1998 Douglas Stanley has held a professorship for digital art at the art college of Aix-en-Provence. He is currently working on his doctorate at Jean-Louis Boissiers Laboratoire Esthétique de l'interactivité in Paris 8.
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