verse
Exhibition

Andreas Gysin & Sidi Vanetti Materialized

On View
27 June - 1 July 2023
4 Cromwell Place, South Kensington
London SW7 2JE

Opening event
Tuesday 27th June
6pm - 8pm : Reception evening
7pm - 8 pm: In conversation with curators

Verse Solos

We are excited to launch Verse Solos with an exhibition of digital and physical works by artist duo Andreas Gysin and Sidi Vanetti.

Andreas Gysin & Sidi Vanetti have been creative partners for many years. They first met at the University of Applied Sciences and Arts in Ticino and have since collaborated on numerous artistic installations and large-scale works for various institutions and museums worldwide.

Obsessed with their medium, with a rare mastery of the screen-as-a-canvas, the artists navigate between the digital and physical realms, though the theme of the pixel is ever-present irrespective of whether the works are hardware or software based.

Please join the artists and Verse for the IRL reception evening and in conversation with curator Pita Arreola (Digital Art Curator, V&A) on 27 Jun, 2023.

6pm - 8pm : Reception evening
7pm - 8 pm: In conversation with curators

Andreas Gysin & Sidi Vanetti employ industrial and urban signage and displays, as well as familiar objects such as digital or split-flap displays within their practice. At its core, their work examines the potential of the computer as a medium. The result is a body of work that is inherently digital.

For Materialized the artists have collaborated on several physical and digital works as well one long form generative piece.

64 Pixels

From the Matrices series, 2022–2023, realtime, JavaScript and WebGL, variable dimensions, web-app ready. digital and physical artwork, edition of 16.

Exhibition content image

64 Pixels is informed by the limitations of the physical component of a sourced LED panel. The artists frequently employ industrial and electronic objects within their creations, either as starting points or final works.

*64  Pixels*, 2023, Back Plates

64 Pixels, 2023, Back Plates

*64  Pixels*, 2023, Controller Detail

64 Pixels, 2023, Controller Detail

In this case, the duo embraced the constraints of the hardware and used them as a creative catalyst, exploring the compositional geometric possibilities within the confines of only 64 pixels.

Recursive Tile

From the Matrices series, 2023, realtime, JavaScript and WebGL, variable dimensions, web-app ready. digital and physical artwork, edition of 48.

Exhibition content image

Recursive Tile builds upon the concept of creating compositions within the confines of a 64×64 pixel canvas. However, it adds a new element by incorporating recursion.

*Recursive Tile*, 2023, Browser Display

Recursive Tile, 2023, Browser Display

*Recursive Tile*, 2023, Controller Detail

Recursive Tile, 2023, Controller Detail

In this project, smaller versions of an 8×8 tile are used repeatedly to form larger compositions. One of the features of Recursive Tile and 64 Pixels is their versatility in terms of their display options. The artworks can be viewed on various devices, ranging from projections to phones, screens, and computers. This adaptability allows the artworks to be showcased fluidly, emphasizing its digital nature, and making it suitable for different settings and locations.

Wayfinder

Real time generative long form, 2023, digital edition of 128 unique works.

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Wayfinder is a 2.5d experiment: an infinite extruder that generates an ongoing stack of 2d shapes.

The beginning of this project dates back to the involvement of the artists in a visual exploration undertaken for a previously commissioned project. Their task was to envision futuristic languages and signage systems for a science fiction film. This research laid the foundation for this new long-term project, where the artists retained the concept of layering and reimagined it by developing a new and efficient code.

*Wayfinder*, 2023, Output Detail

Wayfinder, 2023, Output Detail

*Wayfinder*, 2023, Output Detail

Wayfinder, 2023, Output Detail

*Wayfinder*, 2023, Output Detail

Wayfinder, 2023, Output Detail

Six Letters

6 electro-mechanical elements, custom electronics and software, 2023, physical artwork, edition of 3 accompanied by a corresponding NFT, 52.2×14×20 cm.

Exhibition content image

In this artwork, six alphanumeric split-flap elements are used to display the 3515 most common six-letter words from the English dictionary. The arrangement of these words has been created to minimize the effort required to transition from one word to another (a measure similar to the ‘Hamming distance’, which also considers the distance from one letter to another in a cyclic manner).

To obtain the optimal sequence, an approximation of the traveling salesman algorithm was used. This algorithm, traditionally employed to solve the problem of finding the shortest possible route among multiple destinations, was adapted to determine the most efficient order in the succession of all six-letter words. The result is a sequence of words that takes the viewer on a captivating experience.

Red-Green

LED modules, custom electronics and software, physical artwork, 8 unique editions accompanied by a corresponding NFT, 20×22×3 cm each.

Exhibition content image

This work consists of a series of old bichrome cross-shaped LED modules found in an electronic market in Shanghai. Assembled on a grid and controlled via custom software, each edition displays a different layout with alternative orientations of the LED elements.

The panels are completely custom made and the layout of the LED modules for each panel is unique. To respect the vintage origin of the LED elements the artists decided not to solder them, instead they are simply attached to the circuit board; this allows for the original elements to stay pristine.

*Red-Green*, 2023, process detail

Red-Green, 2023, process detail

*Red-Green*, 2023, componet detail (front)

Red-Green, 2023, componet detail (front)

*Red-Green*, 2023, componet detail (back)

Red-Green, 2023, componet detail (back)

Digits

36 electro-mechanical elements, 2014–2023, physical artwork, unique, 45×31,3×7 cm each.

Exhibition content image

Digits is composed of several electro-mechanical elements called ‘7-segment display’ and usually used to display numbers and a limited set of characters. They are used to display petrol prices at gas stations or wherever a numerical display is needed.

The elements are white on a black background for maximal contrast and readability without the need to emit light. The whole digit is slightly tilted giving each blade a unique and interesting form. In the installation the individual blades of each digit are programmed and produce waves of horizontal back-and-forth motion. Powerful solenoids activate the lightweight blades producing a heavy sound. The elements have industrial quality and lack of any ornament.

VFD CUU

Vacuum fluorescent display, custom electronics and software, wooden enclosure, 2016–2017, physical artwork, edition of 3, 21.8×8.8×6 cm.

Exhibition content image

Vacuum fluorescent displays have been used since the ’70 in cash registers, auto radios and ovens. Usually they present an alpha-numeric matrix. Each element of the matrix is made of a smaller matrix of dots which can emit light in different brightness. The original limited series of letters and signs typographical of the Latin and Japanese alphabet is used to create a sequence of abstract compositions.

*VFD CUU*, 2016-17

VFD CUU, 2016-17

*VFD CUU*, 2016-17

VFD CUU, 2016-17

Artist

Andreas Gysin & Sidi Vanetti

Andreas Gysin & Sidi Vanetti are an artist duo exploring images and patterns using the type geometries of multipurpose displays. What characterises the projects is that their intention is to not modify the layout (or visual organisation) of the chosen hardware – they work with what the existing has to offer. Within these hard constraints they search for infinite visual permutation. Using only...

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Curator

SOLOS

SOLOS is dedicated to presenting digital artworks by the world’s leading artists.

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