www.markkoven.net

“I consider my work to be in the genre of tactical media utilizing a multi-media approach. The visual arts and sound converge with performance, often across disciplines, with the goal of immersing the viewer. The desired outcome is to cause a perspective and /or behavioral shift in the audience.”

Koven’s work has often involved spectator participation beginning with his early more technologically complex sculptural pieces to the multimedia installations that incorporate covert performance in recent years. Shows such as “Come”, “Cream”, “Moth” and “Here” combined video installation, sound installation, lenticular photography and food with performance. His work has been exhibited in numerous venues and exhibitions including FlashArt Milan, Locust Projects, Miami Art Museum, Photo San Francisco, PS 742, Museum of Art Ft. Lauderdale, Scope London, Bernice Steinbaum Gallery and other museums and galleries domestically and abroad. His work is part of private collections as well as public collections including Miami-Dade Art in Public Places, The Frost Museum, MOCA, and Miami Art Museum. In 2003, the New Times periodical voted his solo “come” exhibition Best Art Opening of the Year in Miami. Koven was the recipient of a fellowship at the University of Miami where he received his Masters of Fine Arts in Digital Media and Photography.

Koven is teaching a workshop called, Organic Motion: Kinetic and Interactive Sculpture, in the Digital Media and Sculpture programs at Anderson Ranch Art Center. The class will be co-taught with Anat Pollack and joined by Visiting Artist Jim Campbell. It will take place from July 30th - August 10th 2007.

Koheleth wrote is part interpretation and part literal representation of a book in the bible called Ecclesiastes, where Koheleth is named as the originator and main charactor of the book. Koheleth wrote is comprised of seven lenticular photographic pages plus a cover. The imagery of each lenticular page is a layered combination of asphalt, pages of ecclesiastes, and quotes gleaned from the passages.

Asphalt is a man made composition comprised of oil (tar), sand and/or gravel. With modern roads being made of asphalt, the imagery becomes tied to roads as symbolic of traveling and journeys. Koven uses various stages of asphalt to signify not only a journey but also a man made journey, that of striving for wisdom and meaning.

Ecclesiastes is divergent from other parts of the bible due to its somewhat unique conclusions based upon human observation rather than divine inspiration. It is also recognized as one of the earliest written examples of existentialism. In it Koheleth comes back after a long journey in which he attempted to find meaning. It covers many topics ranging from economic growth to theories on environmental forces and cycles of nature.

The large text is paraphrased with Koven's own interpretations from selected passages within the page(s) that they float above. The vanity and futility of all is mentioned a multitude of times in the
original text with reference to chasing wind. “All is vanity” is combined with phrases such as “trying to chase and capture the wind” attempting to convey the futility of ones actions in life. This is the reason wind sounds are used for the accompanying CDs. As Ecclesiastes and Koheleth wrote states in the last page, life is cyclical in nature but for us as individuals, “this is the end of the matter”.