The Center for Art, Design and Visual Culture presents Command Z: Artists Working with Phenomena and Technology, curated by Lisa Moren, on display from March 29 through April 28. Command Z is an exhibition and public programming project featuring several pioneering artists whose works use kinetics, morse code, audio, computer programming, a grand piano and fire. This exhibition will create new as well as re-create historic installations of internationally received work by Ingrid Bachmann, Paul DeMarinis, Nina Katchadourian and artist team Emile Morin and Jocelyn Robert.

Special Events

At 4 pm on Thursday, March 29, artists Emile Morin and Jocelyn Robert will discuss their collaborative piece Leçon de piano (Piano Lesson), in which letters fall like rain, slowly making sounds onto a keyboard randomly playing 47 phrases from a child's piano lesson book such as "the green valley" or "in the dark corridor." The "weight" of the projected letters and colors appear to press down on each key inspired by phenomena of colors, letters and sounds coming together in nature. In the collaboration of Jocelyn Robert and Emile Morin both artists bring programming, engineering and poetic skills to this project that randomly plays single notes minimally and automatically. Leçon de piano uses a Yamaha Disklavier, an acoustic and digital grand piano that receives input from a computer using MAX software programmed by the artists, in order to always vary the associations throughout the installation.

The Opening Reception on March 29 at 5 pm will include a special performance of Nina Katchadourian's Talking Popcorn, a sound sculpture that hears what popcorn is saying, a project inspired by the artist's interest in language, bi-culturalism and translation. A microphone is in the cabinet of a popcorn machine that picks up the sound of popping corn, and translates it according to the patterns and dictates of Morse code. A computer-generated voice provides a simultaneous spoken translation. Attendees will receive free popcorn in a bag labeled with the text of what their popcorn is saying.

On Thursday, April 12 at 4 pm, a "rush hour" concert wlll feature new works for Disklavier by UMBC faculty and composition students Matthew Belzer, Linda Dusman, Jacob Foster, Jacob Housand, Justin Mann, Timothy Nohe, David Revill, Anna Rubin and Alan Wonneberger.

Admission to the exhibition and all events is free. The Center for Art, Design and Visual Culture is open Tuesday through Saturday from 10 am to 5 pm (with the exhibition opening for regular hours on Friday, March 30) and is located in the Fine Arts Building. For more information call 410-455-3188.