Felix's Machines
Felix's Machines
Felix's Machines will transform live music and sound into a three-dimensional visual show, creating a multi-sensory experience with movement, music and light. A special collaborative performance with guest musicians Plaid from Warp Records will also take place at 18:30.
Felix's Machines were initially conceived in an experiment aiming to facilitate live music by transforming sound into a three-dimensional visual show through the medium of digitally controlled mechatronic sculpture. As an ongoing project, the music-performing machines built by Felix do not intend to match human potential. Instead they exist to test the advantages of mechanical instruments alone. Felix's Machines have performed at venues ranging from Battersea Arts Centre and Centre Pompidou Metz to a turbine bunker at Faster Than Sound festival. They have also proved successful as an installation piece in locations such as Royal College of Art, the Roundhouse, Brighton Festival, Barbican, SESC São Paulo, Glasgow School of Art, Onassis Cultural Centre Athens, Southbank Centre and a solo exhibition at Gasworks. The Machines were recently upgraded for a live collaboration with Warp Records’ musicians Plaid for several live shows, most notably at the Centre Pompidou in Metz.
Biography
Felix Thorn is a British artist based in Brighton. His work combines interests in sculpture and electronic music by deconstructing real-life objects and creating new experiences with movement, music and light. Whilst studying Sound Art at The London College of Communication, Felix began working with electronics and created Felix’s Machines as his final university project. This caught the attention of the London Sinfonietta which led to his first installation in 2007 at the British Library with numerous subsequent exhibition, installation and performance appearances. In 2009 Felix was selected to showcase his Machines to an exclusive audience at TED Global resulting in worldwide recognition. Recently he has focussed on application of technological developments in creative contexts. Today Felix Thorn builds machines for art installations, live performance, commercials, theatre accompaniment and retail displays.