An exhibit entitled Maestros & The Machines has taken place at Mercer Labs in New York City that would have been impossible to conceive of even five years ago. The exhibit displays the work of legendary artists like Da Vinci and Mozart, but with the assistance of a laptop and sensors. The exhibit opened last year but has since expanded to include new installations.

The Engine

A new installation in the exhibit is titled The Engine. Created by Roy Nachum, The Engine disorients you with multiple mirrors and massive screens that surround the area.

A giant orb continuously changes, seemingly slowing time for the viewers. Unlike many forms of digital art, what happens in The Engine changes each time visitors go through the installation. Consequently, no one sees the same installation as another visitor.

Freedom

The other installation that has been updated is the exhibit entitled Freedom. For years, a robotic arm would play the electric cello. Now, synthesizers from Teenage Engineering have been added, allowing visitors to step in and change the song being played.

The sounds created use 4D audio that targets specific locations in the exhibit. As the visitors move around the robot playing the cello, the 4D audio changes. Thus, it simulates a conversation between the 250-year-old composition and the robot.

Why Mercer Labs Chose to Create These Installations

Despite the digitization of art, the act of creation has not changed that much. Whether someone uses a paintbrush or a robotic arm to create the art, the tool is only as good as the individual using it.

By creating installations like The Engine, Mercer Labs seeks to simulate art rather than exhibit it. The importance of innovation goes beyond creating something new; it also involves creating a way to experience something already beloved.