Intermission

Video documentation of the original cardboard version of Intermission.

Intermission is an installation which poses questions of both robotic autonomy and the nature of how autonomy is often simulated within the history of film.

The sculpture is chiefly interested in the discussion of a single scene in Stanley Kubrick’s 2001: A Space Odyssey in which Dave and Frank seek a private space to discuss the possibility that HAL 9000 may need to be shut down.

Composed largely of vinyl, felt, and wood, Intermission exists as a large-scale installation which invites the viewer to explore and dissect the space. The viewer’s first exposure to this work is via a small television monitor, in which a live video feed of the installation is present. As the viewer moves around the space, the perceived perfection of the space becomes less and less apparent. What would represent HAL 9000 can be seen to be mostly wood and small motors, hidden inside of a smoky plastic enclosure. The EVA pod, though nearly 7 feet in diameter appears to be made of a soft fabric, not suitable for interstellar travel.

During the installation of the work, streaming video was sent to the web and can now be viewed as archive footage on the project site.