The Vigil: Broken Chairs - Living TVs

Broken Chairs-Living TVs

2023

Generative Sculptural Installation

Materials: Broken Ikea chairs, CRT monitors, broken VGA cords, potentiometers, recycled and found materials

 

In Spring 2023, I was honored to be the guest artist for Vigil, an annual all-night music and sound festival held at the Maryland Institute College of Art's (MICA) The Brown Center. Presented by MICA’s Sound Art and Interactive Arts programs, Vigil features student performances, guest musicians, and interactive art.

 

For the event, I created Broken Chairs-Living TVs, a generative sculptural installation that combines three broken modernist Ikea chairs with three "living" CRT monitors. The monitors generate active media through a feedback loop I designed using broken VGA cords and potentiometers, allowing the visuals to shift and evolve dynamically.

 

This piece is not only a critique of consumerism and the cycles of production and obsolescence but also an act of care. By working with equipment often dismissed as obsolete, I seek to reframe these objects as living artifacts worthy of attention and preservation. Every element of the installation is salvaged or repurposed, reflecting my commitment to sustainability and the belief that even discarded materials can be given new life and meaning.