Victor FM Torres Artist - Language Writes Myth Writes Reality, 2012

Intermedia Installation. MAP (Maryland Art Place). Baltimore, MD.

"Language Writes Myth Writes Reality, 2012 - present" is an ongoing, ever-evolving multimedia project. It consists to four main works: "Acculturation Machine, 2015-present," "Enculturation Machine: The way mummy talks, 2015," "Vivências, 2015," and "Syllabary, 2013 - present." These works together attempt to encapsulate different aspects of culture, gender, technology, and the sense of alienation as experienced by the immigrant.

In "Acculturation Machine, 2015," participants were invited to touch bronze cast sculptures hard wired to a computer in order to trigger projections and sound upon touch. It attempts to place the participant in an exploratory mode. The sounds and images that come up as the participant touches the sculptures attempt to create denotative connections to each piece. All together the installation functions as a physical computing interface. This piece offers the participant the liminal space of the curious foreigner. Acculturation Machines are an ongoing project and are mostly site specific.

"Enculturation Machine: Or, The way mummy talks, 2015:" The artist circled the space about three times. He then sat down on the floor with his back to the audience and started to pull his own hair and cut it with a pair of scissors while occasionally looking at the mirror in front of him. The artist followed this action by picking up a marine blue book and started to read a creation myth in an unknown language, original to the work. He translated the poem every couple of lines. After the artist finished reading and translating the poem he started to mummify himself with originally print bundle of cotton fabric. As it became impossible to complete the mummification by himself, the artist asked for assistance from an audience member who eagerly finished the mummification. The artist lay on the floor of the gallery mummified for approximately 2 hours.