KIRSTEN SWENSENPORTFOLIO

INTRO

1 INTRO 2 PROJECTS & INSTALLATIONS 3 VISUAL PERFORMANCE 4 WORKSHOPS

KIRSTEN SWENSEN

Kirsten Swensen, Photographer, VJ and visual Artist living in Eindhoven. With a profound interest in the nexus of art & technology and with a background in photography, Kirsten started making audio-visual installa-tions and generative art. Swensen’s works take on multiple forms such as installation works, visual performances, and video pieces. She developed a 3D software, where she generates different structures, and reconstructs an image into an algorithm that interacts with diiferent sound frequencies. her works are shown at international festivals and museums including van abbe museum (NL), adelaine festival (au), glow (NL), Musem Of Transitory Art (SL) While being in the nexus of the art and technology scene and with a background in photography, she now works as a VJ to make audo-visual installations. For Adelaide, Swensen has created Digital Landscapes, which combines images with sophisticated algorithms to pro-duce beautiful and unique moving images that captivate the audience. At the same time she became known in the Eindhoven nightlife and club scene, as she became co-founder of LAB-1. Lab-1 is a nightclub, incubator and meeting place, an open museum as well as a stage for underground live music, expos, visuals, and djs for young creative, artists and alternative culture. Lab-1 was settled temporarily in the old NatLab wing, located in Eindhoven. Lab-1 equals dynamic experiment and creativity, and above all a place to enjoy the festive, free and nomadic spirit. The various niches in the old building combine an club evening with diversity of art, electronic music, techno/house, experimental movies and video mapping.

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DIGITAL LANDSCAPES VOLUME 0.1

AUDIO VISUAL INSTALLATION

2DIGITAL LANDSCAPES VOLUME 0.1

AUDIO VISUAL INSTALLATION

D i g i t a L L a n d s c a p e s “Digital Landscapes” is a concept based on these different layers each having its own characteristic. It explores the algorithms depending on soundfrequen-cy’s, like a visual language. It consist in a series cinematics, investigating the relationship between sound, algorithms & digital aesthetics that will take you on a journey throughout different landscapes. Each one of these landscapes has its own individual characteris-tics, which combined with algorithms produce beautiful and unique formations responding on sound and movement.

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CONCEPT SKETCH FOR ADELADE FESTIVAL 2015 , AU

Research

BLOB

INTERACTIVE INSTALLATION

Blob is a interactive installation that responds on its surroundings. It responds to movement, and various frequencies. Its almost like you communicate with it, so people feel like they actually interact with something alive. They feel like communicating to an alien, or a robot, what causes people to act very differently each time they encounter the blob.

GLOW 2014, ‘BLOB’ BALTAN LABORATORIES, NL

People started doing performances spontaneously, while interacting with it.

HYPERCUBE

H Y P E R C U B E What is reality? We are bombarded with information, which we often assume that it is the truth; con-sciously or unconsciously. Our brain is sometimes struggling to handle all of this, so we become more alienated from our body, and stay in the rational mind. Hypercube is a fictional space that adapts to the body, and focuses on some of our senses. The confusing visual animations can cause the viewer being disorientated and takes them even further into the world of illusion and perception. How much do we rely on our sight? It is up to the viewer how far the cube will take you. Hypercube is a simple space that the viewer can physically enter, being 2 x 2 m high. Through small interventions with projection-mapping and a moving floor viewers will experience different perception of space and gravity. Its like they are in this abstract reality, which is con-stantly subjected to change. It not only stimulates visual sensations but the longer you stand, the more you become hypnotized by what occurs. Leaving a pattern. This creates an interaction between the space and the viewer. Inspired by the famous escher I wanted to simulate a reality based on illusion and altering reality. With the floor slightly moving in the cube, it stimulates our senses and our percep-tion on what is happening. This virtual joyride will take you on a journey.

Inspired by Escher

VISUAL PERFORMANCE

VISUAL PERFORMANCE3

As a VJ she prefers to work with a clear con-

cept, based on the existing reconstructing

of an image. She is particularly interest-

ed in the way sound reacts to live visuals.

With her new program she can render every-

thing live. Inspired by the universe, Kirsten

tries to create a virtual experience. One of

her installations is a self written software

program, an unique program called ‘Mazewarp’.

This 3D software responds immediately to

various sound frequencies and movement. So the

landscape forms always differently depending

on what sound it hears. With a background in

photography, “I was curious what it would be

like to turn a picture into a dynamic, shift-

ing landscape of movement and sound, and how

this would effect an audiance.” Besides re-

constructing an image, this unique 3D program

turns images into abstract landscapes, while

transforming sound into live visuals.

VJ KIRSTEN SWENSEN

WORKSHOPSSwensen also provides workshops . In the past she organised several workshops together with Baltan Laboratories, for the Open Labs. The sessions would invite designers, engineers and other members of the Baltan Open Labs community and network. The idea was to meet with each other, experiment and build with light and play with new technologies; `we are looking for doers and thinkers with a wide variety of backgrounds to generate new ideas and bringing existing ones to a next level.`

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Nominations2013 Nominated for GUP New Dutch Photography Talent 2013, NL2013 Selected Review GUP Firestarters ‘New Talents’, Amsterdam, NL

Presentations2013 GUP Gallery ‘New Dutch Photography Talent’ (group) NL2013 TAC Schaamteloos verlangen ‘Closing In’ (group) NL2012 Krabbedans ‘Hear no, Speak no, See no’ Series (solo) NL2014 AKV Sint joost Graduationshow ‘Closing In’ (group) NL2013 Tentoon, Den Bosch, ‘Violent Dreams’ (group) NL2014 Lab -1 ‘Mazewarp’ Video/Interactive Installation (group) NL2014 Lab-1, Klubnight, Room 306, VJ Set2014 LPM Live Performers Meeting ‘Spheres + Mazewarp’ VJ Conference, NL 2014 Studio Dok Opening ‘Mazewarp’, NL2014 Lab-1, Stuk X, Vj-set, NL2014 TAG Festival VJ Set, NL2014 Zodiak Commune VJ Set , NL2014 Effenaar, Vonk, Live VJ Set, NL2014 Dutch Design Week, NatLab, Visual movie, NL2014 Dutch Design Week, Book Presentation ‘Closing In Thesis’, NL2014 GLOW 2014, Interactive Installation ‘Mazewarp’, Glow Next,NL2015 Studio FIKA, Begeer de begeerte’, Intimate Portraits, NL2015 Adelaide Festival, Installation,’Digital Landscapes’ AU(Upcoming)2015 Bouncespace, Eindhoven, ‘Intimate Portraits’ NL (Upcoming)2015 MoTa Museum of Transitory Art, (Upcoming) SL (Sonica)2015 Van Abbe Museum, Young Art Crowd, Installation, NL (Upcoming)

IntershipsDanielle Kwaaitaal

Education2009 aug – 2013 june AKV|St.Joost, Photography and Design HBO Bachlor

CLIENTS ADELAINE FESTIVAL VAN ABBE MUSEUMMOTA MUSEUM OF TRANSITORY ARTSSONICA FESTIVALTACEFFENAARMEZZGLOW NEXTDUTCH DESIGN WEEKBALTAN LABORATORIESLAB-1GUP MAGAZINENATLABZODIAK COMMUNETAG FESTIVAL STUDIO DOKPUNT