G H Hovagimyan
AR/VR SCULPTURE
USA, 2017, installation
The underlying art historical reference in this work is to American Precisionist Painter such as George Ault, Ralston Crawford, Stuart Davis, Charles Demuth, Elsie Driggs, Louis Guglielmi, Louis Lozowick, Georgia O’Keeffe, Morton L. Schamberg, Charles Sheeler, and Niles Spencer, which took as their subject matter the American industrial landscape, without any reference to societal or political concerns. In similar manner, Hovagimyan is using 3D digital forms, presented within a virtual space created by Augmented Reality equipment. The AR Markers are collaged forms printed out on paper or floor panels, which can also be projected. The physical interface and the viewing experience is partially tactile insofar as the viewer must move through and walk on the floor markers, creating an overlap of physical and virtual space. Recent augmented reality and virtual reality display technology has been ported to handheld devices such as the iPad and iPhone – in the previous Augmented Reality Paintings project, the artist used a VR goggle stereo 3D into which a viewer inserts their cellphone, produced by the company I Am Cardboard.
G. H. Hovagimyan
An experimental artist working in a variety of forms. He was one of the first artists in New York to start working with the Internet in the early nineties. His work ranges from new media and hypertext works to digital performance art, video art, photography and interactive installations.
His works have been exhibited at MoMA, Mass MoCA, The Whitney Museum, The New Museum, The Walker Art Center, Jeu De Paume, MAC Marseille, MAC Lyon, Pompidou Center, Lincoln Center, ICA The Clocktower, The Kitchen, The Alternative Museum, Eyebeam Art & Technology, List Visual Arts Center, La Gaite Du Lyrique, StuttgartKunstverein, Steim Institute, the Moscow Center for Contemporary Art, Postmasters Gallery, Pace Digital Gallery He has also exhibited works in major festivals and art fairs including; 2º Encuentro de Cultura Digital, Art Basel Miami, Pulse Miami, Art Cologne, Split Film Festival, Conflux Festival, Video Dumbo, Scope Art Fair, Frieze Art Fair, Avignon Numerique, The Documenta, Interferences 2nd International Festival of Urban Multimedia Arts, Les Musiques, Marseille and Prix Ars Electronica 98 where he won an award for his collaborative work with Peter Sinclair. His works are in the collections of The Walker Art Center, The Whitney Museum, The Alternative Museum, Computer Fine Arts Collection and Perpetual Art MachineRecent awards include: 2015-Flint Public Art Project commission, 2014 -Visiting Artist, Puerto de Ideas, Chile, AIR – ISIS Arts Newcastle, UK – 2013, AIR – Pixel Palace Newcastle, UK – 2012, AIR – School of Visual Arts MFA Computer Arts Dept. 2011-2012, LMCC Governor’s Island Residency – 2010, Plazaville – 2009 commission of New Radio and Performing Arts, Inc. for its Turbulence web site made possible with funding from the New York City Department of Cultural Affairs, 2003 fellowship from Experimental Television Center, 2003 TAM Digital Media Commissions, 2002 Artists Fellowship from Franklin Furnace, 2002 pilot artist in residence program from Eyebeam, NYC.