O
XORXOR (Hungary)
Is it impossible to draw a perfect circle?
Throughout history, the symbol of the circle has been associated with perfection in mathematics, art, and design. Circles are drawn digitally by squaring as a form of approximation. Mechanically or hand-drawn circles are not completely circular either. And yet, the Italian Renaissance painter Giotto proved his abilities to the Pope by effortlessly painting a seemingly perfect circle by hand. The challenge to draw a perfect circle has also been used as a meditative exercise in Zen Buddhism (see ensō circles), attempting perfection, but embracing the imperfection of the outcome. The aim of O is to make the circle perfect, but the notion of perfection is complicated by the interplay of the participants' inputs and the circle's own dynamics. This creates a complex experience of perfection: one that is difficult to reach and depends on the participants to not disrupt the common effort, and once reached, may be lost again.
XORXOR was founded in 2013 in Budapest, Hungary with the aim to bring new visual and technological possibilities to the cultural scene. The studio follows a research-based practice to explore new ways to solve complex problems. Our clients range from museums through dance companies to film and theatre productions in Hungary and in the international scene. O was made by Gáspár Hajdu, Tamás Lakos, Gábor Papp and Sámuel Setényi.