Herwig Weiser is an Austrian artist whose work aims to tackle the complex relationships between art, hardware and information. While studying at KHM in Cologne, he concieved the well-known installation Zgodlocator. The piece consists of a large circular window in the floor under which a greenish powder sits. The substance actually consists of ground computer-hardware which is being moved around by magnets according to sounds controlled by visitors, thus creating an ever-changing landscape.

He also made a mobile, much smaller version that features a second circle in which a ferrofluid is wobbling around. In addition to its turntable-like appearance, the zII is deliberately stylish, sitting in a dark acrylic case and evokes many different associations connected to both culture and technology.

With his newest piece, Death Before Disko, Weiser pursued that direction even further by creating a cylindrical object which is a combination of speakers, lights and a mirrorball-like sphere covered in ferrofluid. Playing cacophonic sounds from the net, it is purposefully revealing all of the technology it is using and yet there’s somehing disturbingly glamourous about Death Before Disko. It has recently been selected for Cybersonica and will be on display in London, May 08-26. (Update: as Chris of Cybersonica has pointed out to us, the work hasn’t been selected but a new version that will be interactive has been commissioned by Cybersonica 2006!)

Very mystery-laden, but utterly beautiful. Merci Rég for the hint.

Related: Breathing Chaos by Sachiko Kodama and Snoil by Martin Frey.