Artist’s work takes flight

For all those who have ever wondered what it would be like to interact with alien life forms, artist Jed Berk offers some indication with “ALAVs 2.0,” now on exhibition at the Beall Center for Art and Technology at UC Irvine.

ALAVs — or Autonomous Light Air Vessels — are intelligent, helium-filled blimps designed to help visitors imagine contact with an unknown, yet familiar, species.

“I see them as semi-domesticated, biologically inspired creatures,” Berk said. “They are friendly in nature and curious, and visitors usually leave with an emotional response to them.”

With seven ALAVs afloat in the center — including Sophie, Mateo and Bubba Jr. — visitors can feed and talk to the creatures via cellphone, while observing the flock as they prowl, dance or hide, depending on how they perceive their environment.

“I wanted to emphasize the connection between people, objects and their environment,” the artist said. “I think the ALAVs give an idea of what to expect in the near future when we may be living with technological creatures like these.”

Constructed of polyurethane and lightweight plastic, the ALAVs operate autonomously through the use of ultrasonic range finders, WiFi technology and interactive voice recognition systems.

The idea for the ALAVs — which are often likened to jellyfish — came about when Berk was sitting in his wide-open studio, contemplating a way to fill the empty space.

“I was looking for something that could encompass the whole environment, which kind of meant something flying or floating,” he said. “I wasn’t interested in something that just roamed around on the floor.”

For many visitors, the ALAVs take on a role similar to that of a pet, Berk said, adding that people of all ages are able to appreciate what the exhibit has to offer.

“You can walk away with something interesting whether you’re 5 years old or an adult,” he said. “An aerospace engineer might look at it from the perspective of flying or what it could do on a different planet or in a military situation, and a child looks at it like a teddy bear that it can push around the room.”

Equipped with a master’s degree in fine arts from Art Center College of Design in Pasadena, Berk was selected from more than 50 candidates for the center’s Emerging Artists series based on his ability to integrate advanced computer technology into a captivating art exhibit.

“Jed’s project fulfills everything you would want in a new media art piece,” said center director Eleanore Stewart. “It is very accessible to the general public, yet it also has many different layers of complexity to it.”

Berk and the ALAVs will be featured at the center’s Family Day, running from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturday, along with a presentation on new frontiers in outer space, screenings of NOVA’s “Wings of Madness — The Daring Flight of Alberto Santos-Dumont” and other hands-on activities.

“Kids get pretty excited by them because they look like a big balloon,” Berk said. “For some reason, kids get like things that float — especially when they blink and make noise.”

IF YOU GO

WHAT: Jed Berk’s “ALAVs 2.0”

WHEN: Now through May 19. The center is open noon to 5 p.m. Tuesdays and Wednesdays, and noon to 8 p.m. Thursday through Saturday.

WHERE: The Beall Center for Art and Technology, Claire Trevor School of the Arts, UC Irvine

COST: Free

INFO: Go to www.alavs.com , https://beallcenter.uci.edu or call (949) 824-4339.