Rihards Vitols (E-Lab, Germany)

vitols.rihards@gmail.com 

In 1987. two entomologist: William J. Mattson and Robert A. Haack, in their paper The Role of Drought in Outbreaks of Plant-eating Insects suggested that insects can here the sound produced by a tree emissions and based on this sounds they know is a tree is good for them for food and/or expending their population. The sound emissions in the trees are produced in cavitation process – when the water from ground is going up to the tree branches, sound emissions are between 20 kHz and 2000 kHz. According to World Wide Fund research in 2007. in the near future birds population in the world will drastically decrease. This will allow to grow the insect population and one of the dangerous of them will be the plant-eating ones. They will slowly destroy our forests which will decries fresh air production. My work is a research to see if we can replace some of the bird species whit an artificial ones to try to keep the plant-eating insects from making new population in trees, explore communication among the insects, the trees and woodpeckers. The installation consist out of two digital prints 70×100, video documentation, artificial woodpeckers and collected data.

In 1987. two scientists: William J. Mattson and Robert A. Haack, in their paper The Role of Drought in Outbreaks of Plant-eating Insects, based on the previous researches suggested that insects can here the trees produced sound emissions and based on this sounds they know is a tree is good for them. The sound emissions in the trees are produced in cavitation process – when the water from ground is going up to the tree branches, in the result of tree and water friction, there are appearing air bubbles which then make the sounds, while traveling through the tree, in the range between 20 kHz and 2000 kHz.

I always want to challenge myself when it comes to creation of an artwork. There is no specific equipment or media which I use for my works. Usually I try to use both digital and analogue equipment to create a work. Issues that attract me and I find important in my work are movement, unpredictable outcome and contrast. When I’m creating a work I don’t think about the result but about the process. Process is very important for me in my work. Over the past two years my work has been about ecological issues caused by our lifestyle. In this field I like to create works that might be used in the near future as every day objects that may become part of our lives / installations / prints. My goal is not to solve the problems, but rather to remind about them. I have a master’s degree in media art from Liepaja University part of my studies I have spent in Bauhaus University Weimar (DE). In 2015 I started postgraduate studies in Cologne Media Academy (KHM). I have participated in several exhibitions in different European countries: Latvia 2016 Liepaja Museum exhibition Higenisti, Belgium 2015 Mons European Capital of Culture official program Transformative Ecologies exhibition, Slovenia Maribor exhibition Virtuoso, Latvia Riga Virtuoso exhibition, in 2014 I was a co-author for the Latvian showroom in Italy Venice Architecture Biennial, 2011 France Arles Transience exhibition etc.I have participated with talks. I have had public presentation abot my work in 2016 RIXC Open Fields, Art and sience festival I/O Lab Norway, 2015 Mons Cafe Europ in Belgium. Since January 2014 I am a chairman of the E-Lab, Center for Electronic Art and Media. I am a lecturer at the Liepaja University and Art Academy of Latvia.