Tom Sachs

Hard Drivin @ Exchange Dublin 2010

Hard Drivin’ is a kinetic installation created by Ivan Twohig, Benjamin Gaulon and Brian Solon. The title of the piece references Hard Drivin’ a video game released in 1989. The game featured the first 3D polygon driving environment.

The installation involves radio controlled (R/C) cars that physically react to short messages (‘tweets’) sent through the popular social networking site Twitter. The cars are placed on a 3d-like structure inspired by polygonal modeling. Anyone can participate by telling the cars to begin following another user, by sending a simple command inside a tweet.

This project can be seen as a Media Archeology Installation as well as an exploration of Hardware Hacking Art practices. Media Archeology as defined by Erkki Huhtamo, is “the study of the cyclically recurring elements and motives underlying and guiding the development of media culture,” and “the ‘excavation’ of the ways in which these discursive traditions and formulations have been ‘imprinted’ on specific media machines and systems in different historical contexts, contributing to their identity in terms of socially and ideologically specific webs of signification” (1996).

Excess Wilderness

Title: Excess Wilderness
Date: 2009
Exhibition: It Goes On
Venue: Temple Bar Gallery and Studios
Materials: Card, Hot Glue