random international’s self portrait temporary printing machine

london-based studio random international presents ‘before the rain’ (see designboom’s first coverage here), an exhibition at carpenters workshop gallery in paris of their kinetic artworks and interactive installations which they have developed since their first days back in 2005. among the works on show are pieces from their temporary printing machine series including ‘self-portrait’ and ‘study for a mirror’.’self-portrait’ explores the notion of the traditional concept and content of a portrait as a means of preserving memory through image making. 

the frame captures moments in time which then quickly fade away not to be repeated image © designboom

spectators standing before the blank canvas are captured in the form of a large-scale ephemeral representation of themselves, a single moment scanned and then slowly fading away, not to be repeated. this act created by random international induces a transient and entropic depiction, the reflective experience illuminating the poignancy of the lost moment along with the impermanence of existence. 

an electronic UV LED print registers the individuals in front of the frame and sets the image onto the canvas image © designboom

detail image © designboom

full view of ‘self-portrait’ image © designboom

sequence of progression image © designboom

image © designboom

image © designboom

printer head detail image © designboom

study for a mirror’ by rAndom international light reactive screen print on glass, corian image © designboom