Random International: Body / Light I

Ever since Gjon Mili spent 15 minutes with Pablo Picasso to explore the long exposure technique that would allow Picasso to produce his now famed ‘light drawings’ for LIFE magazine in 1949, the general public has remained fond of these ephemeral experiments in self-creation. Seeking to reflect a shift in authorship from a single creator to collective and multi-disciplinary creation processes, Random International took inspiration from a year-long collaboration with BMW i and the precise, minimalist culture of their design group as well as the technologies enabling the electrification of mobility in order to develop this new body of work.

In Random International’s Body / Light series, the artists provide a platform and creation process that is instinctively and widely accessible to the public through interactive outdoor installations. Here, viewers are invited to draw with their bodies as their movements are temporarily traced in light. The emphasis is on the physicality of the shared experience of creation and the documentation of this process in all its rawness, imperfection and beauty.

To echo and foster the improvisational spirit of the work, Random International is proud to present Body / Light I with a score performed live by composer and multi-instrumental musician Lester St. Louis, and scheduled choreographic responses to the sculpture by three dancers from the New York Theatre Ballet.

Each day, three performances by the New York Theatre Ballet dancers and musician Lester St. Louis will occur between 6:30 and 8:30pm. At all other times, there will be pre-recorded audio by Lester St. Louis. Installation and performances are presented at Manhattan West Plaza for free to the public.

All events and activations adhere to New York State regulations to ensure the safety of the public and staff.

ABOUT RANDOM INTERNATIONAL Art Group 

RANDOM INTERNATIONAL run a collaborative studio for experimental practice within contemporary art. Founded in 2005 by Hannes Koch and Florian Ortkrass, today they work with larger teams of diverse and complementary talent out of studios in London and Berlin. Questioning aspects of identity and autonomy in the post-digital age, the group’s work invites active participation. RANDOM INTERNATIONAL explores the human condition in an increasingly mechanized world through emotional yet physically intense experiences. The artists aim to prototype possible behavioral environments by experimenting with different notions of consciousness, perception, and instinct. For further information, visit www.Random-International.com.