A conversation with Lucia Grossberger Morales

on the Interactive Art Conference on Arts Wire

July 1995

Lucia Grossberger Morales is an interactive computer artist. Born in Bolivia, Lucia immigrated to the US as a young girl. Her works are visually rich, often reflecting her personal history, Bolivian politics, and Latino and indigenous cultures - particularly through shrines, ritual, fabric, and anthropology.

It's hard to describe the impact of Lucia's work: a Dia de los Muertos shrine installation with candles, marigolds, Bolivian fabric surrounding an almost psychedelic computer screen inviting you to interact. Scanned weavings depicting animals - you move the mouse over an animal, and it moves. An older work, Hypercard, in Spanish and English, about leaving the Bolivian mountains/coming to US cities with tall buildings. Powerful, playful, physical - not electronic art divorced from the body or the spirit.

(Anna Couey)

I've been thinking about interactive art since 1982, when I accidentally found myself doing an interactive piece at the Long Beach Museum of Art. Since then I have created many interactive installations. Some of them have worked, some of them haven't. I would like to share my thoughts with you about those installations and get your feedback and insights. Interactive art using computers is very new. There are no rules and I believe that a dialog will go far in helping us all understand this new art form a little better.

(Lucia Grossberger Morales)