ARS ELECTRONICA 1999
HAPPENINGText: Tomohiro Okada
Contrary to such a peaceful daytime, radical events were happening every night.
An attraction that enthralls many people each year is "Ridin’ A Train". Riding through the steel plant grounds on a train during midnight, is an absolutely wonderful attraction. People ride on a glazed special train and the noise music of steelmaking sticks in their ears and skin from the huge speakers. The train keeps on running close by the boiling blast furnace. I experienced this hellish tour for over one hour and it was terrible. But it was surprising that it had a mysterious charm, letting me feel a nice stimulus after I got off the train. When the train approached the mouth of Linz Port, the glass window opened automatically and a bevy of seagulls were flying around. I was strongly moved by the sense of freedom.
You have to reserve a ticket for "Ridin’ A Train", more than a month in advance. I don’t know why, but sometimes you can get to know a person who has a bunch of tickets by hearsay and get one, or once you board a pickup bus, you can ride the train. This is also a good point of Ars Electronica in that you can enjoy yourself if you try to.
Another noteworthy event is "Recombinant 9.9.99". It was started on September 9, 21:09 as a closing event on the final day. An outdoor show of percussion with a flamethrower made us welcome. Inside the place I heard an ensemble of uncomputerized old-style office, the roaring sound of typewriters and telephones. The desks were taken away and office girls left their ‘office’. Then the veranda on the second floor was lit up and all sorts of things were making sounds through a mixer. Then symphonies by Dot Printers Orchestra, etc. followed one after another.
The stage moved to the next hall and non-stop section by prize winners of the Prix Ars Electronica’s Digital Musics category. A musician was making sizzle noises using a huge piece of dry ice on percussion and another was playing Powerbook Orchestra. Such noises were mixed with the turntable plays by the guests among them Yoshihide Otomo. This went on until morning without a break.
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