Latitudinaria latitude in thought or conduct

Latitudinaria* explores and critiques the ambivalence between current technological progress and the consequently depersonalised social structures and systems. I am using the development from mechanical Automata to mass production juxtaposed to Charlie Chaplin’s film and Jean Tinguelys kinetic art, as examples for the change of the social condition from the industrialisation to the current post-industrial era. The change of social condition I refer to as the ‘depersonalisation’ or ‘dehumanisation’ effect supported by my working experiences in the health system. The ‘medicalisation of the life span’ and the discrepancy of creating a sustainable future less profit orientated are two indicators of how far we have been removed from our bodies. These observations are supported by the writing of Ivan Illich’s Medical Nemesis and Frank Schirrmachers’ analysis of the change of the social structure using the family configuration as an example. These conceptual ideas are visualised by a selection of kinetic art works and video installations. In the heart of this body of work is the process-orientated documentation of Zero AGL project. The project documents the journey of a discarded airplane that was re-assembled and reanimated by myself and a group of volunteers supported by local businesses. The struggle of the group of people stands as a metaphor for the current dilemma of the restricted usage of public space. Further it reflects on my own limitations dealing with the Australian outback culture and the transition of my own sculptural practice from small scale art works into the arena of life size public Art. Those experiences shaped the process and the direction of the project. The motivation for the creation of the body of kinetic sculptures and video installation is to highlight the absurdity of social constructed categories and controlling systems in a post-industrial society. The subject matter focuses on the social construction of the categories of the ‘Norm’ and the limitations of failure. Latitudinaria gives the audience a lateral view on how human betterment is not always essentially connected to technological progress but on transforming ideas and enhancing it from a different point of view. * freedom from normal restraints, limitations and regulations.

Grantor dc:publisher

UNSW, Sydney

Year dc:date

2007

Author dc:creator

• Landolt, Sandra

• Art and society
• Depersonalization
• Kinetic sculpture
• Video art
• Installations (Art)
• Tinguely, Jean -- 1925-
• Illich, Ivan, 1926- -- Medical nemesis
• Schirrmachers, Frank

Statement dc:rights

• open access
• CC BY-NC-ND 3.0
• free_to_read

Licence

• https://purl.org/coar/access_right/c_abf2
• https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/3.0/au/

Language dc:language

EN

Identifier

https://doi.org/10.26190/unsworks/17463

OAI identifier oai:identifier

oai:unsworks.library.unsw.edu.au:1959.4/44252