Marc Marc Moscow Installation 1997 Central House of Artists Art Moderne - Auto Composing installation, Generative Art The Moscow trip for 1996/1997 was meant to install a computer terminal with the Graphical Auto-Composer 'Art Moderne' constantly running on it during a whole year. As usally the idea was to go to Moscow without any pre-discussion with the director of the museum and then see whether the plan would be accepted or not. As it seem to be, it is a tradition that the higher gods in Moscow are very willing to me and thus I managed again. The installation is there.

The terminal is put on the first floor at the platform - between the stairs. From an aesthectic point of view not the best spot but, all visitors of the museum have to pass that location and this is a big deal. It was anyway not free to put it wherever I would liked to have it. It should not be located in the exhibition halls to prevent discussion in context to the exhibitions which are changing every month.

The photograph above is manipulated on the computer. In reallity the terminal is surrounded by posters. They could not be removed because the space was rented out to some galleries. It is dramatic to see how this museum due to a money problem has to comprimise to the rules of Russian capitalism (I'am the only one that does not pay to be exhibited - It was take it or leave it). Despite these things, I'am quit satisfied about having the terminal daily composing my graphics in Moscow - knowing that hundreds of people every day will see this happening. The terminal will be moved to another spot that does not have the visual disavantages of posters around it (they told me in februari).

Sponsoring - Credits The Atari ST computer was sponsored by the Moscow Children Computer Club. Special thanks to Sergey Maloutin, all staff members of the club, Georgi Pachikov and Olga Baranova.

Connection Diagram The diagram shows you how the components of the installation are tied together. The installation switches on only at the programmed museum openings times. A so called electronic watchdog is checking whether the software does not cause a crash (it resets the computer if a crash ocures). WatchDog AM Moscow      Complete description, diagram and board layout of the Watchdog.

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Shortcut diary 20.12.96 Arrival in Moscow. 21.12.96 Meeting by coincidence the chairman of the computerclub. Asked him about the possibility to buy a computer from him for a cheap price. Principee da! 15.01.97 Shaking hands with the director at an exhibition vernissage. Telling him that I would soon contact him to speak about my new plan for the museum. 17.01.97 Going to the director in his office to propose the idea of a one year constant 'Auto-Composing' computer terminal for graphics. Agreement on the idea but futher discussion required on the practical realisation. 18.01.97 Getting a computer from the computerclub without permission from the chairman (he is out the country for bussiness). 23.01.97 Agreement with the director on the practical realisation under restriction that the visual realisation shall have his final approval. 25.01.97 Ordering a metal construction for the computer terminal. It will be constructed for $100. 29.01.97 Speaking with the chairman of the computerclub about the possibility to sponsor me the computer. He agrees. 01.02.97 Metal construction ready. Transport to studio. Start mounting electronics to serve full auto-running of the installation. 04.02.97 Translation of the text about the installation, with Olga at the computer club. 06.02.97 Bringing in the installation illegally into the museum (without documents) and putting it on the agreed spot. Then going to the director to ask to have a look and approve to it. He approved. 09.02.97 Fly back to Amsterdam

___2 Month's later The Timer does not work anymore. Buying a new one and testing it to have it run on its backup-batteries only. Ok - that does not last very long. Conclusion: because they unplugged the power outlet every day (against my instructions) the timer runned at its battery backup for too many hours became empty and thus the timing data got lost. Instructed my friend in Moscow to bypass the timer (very simple because precautions to do so were designed) - He tried to have people from the museum to have the installation also plugged in every day again (but this seemed to be problematic).

___3 Month's later My friend over there rapports that there has bin a dispute between a gallery and the director of the museum. The gallery wanted to claim my space because they thought they had an agreement on that with the museum (problably with one of the many curators over there). The director refused because he wanted to have my installlation over there for a whole year as he agreed with me.

___Visit in July see what's up with the installation 01.07.97 Replace timer (which has external battery backup modification now to run for at least a year) Installing the watchdog --- all prepared well: done in 30 minutes. Trying to talk to the garding ladies to instruct them to keeps their hands off and leave the power connected 24 hours a day (this does not work out very well).