Platform for Electronics Abuse
V2_’s hardware developers are practicing anger management with the installation "Love Hate Punch" by artists Stefan Gross and Stella Boess.
Love Hate Punch is an interactive work of art in the form of a punching bag audience members can take a whack at. When at rest, the bag emits red light. When you hit it, light effects appear at the place of impact, flashes that goad the boxer on. If you try hard enough, you can continually change the color of the bag.
The first version of Stefan Gross and Stella Boess’s installation was exhibited in 2009 as part of Re-Act in Eindhoven, where it won the "Frits Philips Kunstprijs." V2_Lab is currently working on a new sensor system. In the new version, the work’s most fragile components will be made even tougher to better withstand the boxers’ violence. The new sensors will also enable the artists to experiment with color and light patterns that will allow the punching bag to respond in different ways. Sound will also play an important role. Stefan and Stella hope to use the new generic sensor system in different contexts: in their words, they are creating a platform for electronics abuse.
Watch Stefan and Stella’s website for future presentations of Love Hate Punch and new projects with a similar impact.
