The Senster, circa 1970 - Edward Ihnatowicz

A bit late notice, but for Londoners, if you have no other prior engagements tonight - a note for an interesting talk occurring at the Kinetica Museum this evening, 23 May 2007.

The Senster and SAM (Sound Activated Mobile)

‘Alex Zivanovic will talk about the work of the late Edward Ihnatowicz, a pioneer of interactive kinetic art. In particular, he will concentrate on SAM, a sculpture exhibited at the Cybernetic Serendipity exhibition in 1968, and the Senster, exhibited in the Evoluon in Eindhoven from 1970 to 1974. Both sculptures moved recognisably in response to the sound and motion of the people around them, giving the impression of being alive. The talk will explain how this was achieved and what we can learn from these groundbreaking works. In particular, Alex will talk about how natural, elegant motion can be achieved.’

It just a shame we can't still see these ground breaking mechanical entities in action. I couldn't escape this page without feeling some strange emotion. The Senster, paralysed and frozen, like dinosaur bones in a museum, and lost in time.