Rosalinde Vermeulen - ArtEZ Alumni Index

‘Visiola’ is a research into recovering the obscure mirror screw mechanical television, a technique developed in the 1920s-30s that was forgotten with the advent of CRT television. My aim is to breathe new life into this forgotten technology. Discovering that not even a Wikipedia article exists on the mirror screw television, I continued my search through old websites, magazines, and articles to uncover its history.

In this work I want to draw attention to the evolution of screens and technology and the level of imagination, almost resembling witchcraft, and creativity that transcends through their design. I want to highlight how innovations have changed over time and what might have been. Through experimentation with mirrors, light and a motor, I have revived this technique in an abstract form, hoping to evoke the same sense of awe people would have felt when first seeing this machine a hundred years ago.

ARTIST BIO

Rosa is a multimedia artist, programmer and storyteller working on the intersection of art and technology. Her fascination with early technology has resulted in projects that weave together the past and present, giving new life to what has been left forgotten. Through research and experiment Rosa points back to a time when science was not just a race for knowledge or production of an advanced product, but also magic, wonder and creativity. Her approach to the history of technology is that of intrigue and endless possibilities.