Cuentos Chinos (Chinese Stories)

source: highlike

Work: Cuentos Chinos (Chinese Stories) is a work inspired by the traditional Chinese Shadow Theatre. The “actors” are cheap chinese products from the popular “All-for-one-Euro” stores. Connected with around 110 motors, solenoids and fans these objects make a curious performance on 18 small theaters standing on top of Overhead projectors. By casting their moving shadows to the walls of the exhibition space, the visitor gets involved in the machinery of cheap, often funny and pastiche products. The installation turns the mechanisms of a globalized economy in an absurd theatre.
Image: 18 Overhead Projectors, microcontrollers, motors, mixed media, variable dimensions, 2009.
Photographer: Ralph Kistler @ Kunsthal KAdE, Amersfoort
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source: subtours

Cuentos Chinos (Chinese Stories) is an installation inspired by the traditional Chinese Shadow Theatre. In this installation the “actors” are cheap chinese products which were bought in the popular “all for one Euro” stores.
The products are conected with around 110 motors, solenoids, fans etc and distributed over 18 small theaters with 36×40 cm base. These sceneries are standing on top of Overhead projectors so that their moving shadows will be cast to the walls of the space. The visitor will be part of an overall machinery which is composed by these cheap, often funny and pastiche products. The more abstract idea of a globalized economy will be focused to an absurd theatre. The title “Cuentos Chinos”, is the spanish word for “tall story” or “whopper” and gives the work a double meaning.
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source: transmedialede

Ralph Kistler (de) (*1969 in Munich) lives and works in Teneriffa and Munich. His interest is based on the observation of today’s society phenomena by taking his surroundings and his personal life as a reference to query everyday situations with ambiguous and often ironic artworks. To create his art installations he is working with video, electronics, interactivity or kinetic objects. By using technology and multimedia like bare tools to enrich the possibilities of artistic expression, he rather prefers low cost, recycling and DIY to be able to keep the maximum autonomy in his projects.