Anna Frants 
Artist Union
2019, drawing boards, paper, camera, custom made plotter machine, dolls’s eye balls, Arduino, Raspberry Pi compute module

A group of programmable robotic arms equipped with cameras and pens draw what they surveil and perceive - identifying all solid lines in a space. Can a machine see us?  In what ways does it interpret our environment and the space we live in? Soft Screens examines how digital systems analyze the world and us - these robots give physical form to this inquiry. Originally conceived as a critique of formal academic art education in St. Petersburg, Russia, where students are taught to replicate rather than interpret, this work takes on a new meaning: robots are studying algorithmic standards to decipher, and reduce reality to patterns.

In collaboration with Cyland MediaArtLab

Anna Frants
Peck of Salt
2019, screen, video, salt, Arduino

Peck Of Salt is a convergence between two dimensions: the digital and the real. The screen plays nothing but static, not connected to content, and hums a familiar buzz. The static is measured and reported to a programmable distribution device that releases a salt stream at the same speed. Each static speck is measured and represented by the physical accumulation of salt on the floor. The salt flow serves as a tangible manifestation of digital noise, bridging the gap between the virtual and physical. It highlights the relentless flow of digital information in our lives.

In collaboration with Cyland MediaArtLab