. Looking for God  
Fernando Orellana .
The origin of the God-idea has always been a hot topic amongst those involved in seeking truth. Creationists will argue that the God-idea is built into us, believing that we were all made in the God's image. Evolutionists will argue that the God-idea was learned, believing that it was the primitive human's way of coping with a world that was hostile and mysterious. Still other religions and philosophies have their own views on the subject, believing faithfully that they are correct. The God-idea is passed on from generation to generation evolving into new permutations and combinations.

"Looking for God" is an installation that considers this notion. The basic setup consists of an old General Electric radio, a microphone, an electronic odometer, an electronic bell, a microprocessor and a mechanism that is able to tune the radio. The mechanism turns the dial of the radio slightly either to the left or right. The microphone then captures a three-second sample of the audio signal coming out of the radio. This captured signal is then compared to a signal saved in the microprocessor's memory of the word "god." If the new signal captured by the microphone is not equal to the signal in memory, the mechanism turns the dial again and the process is repeated. If the signal captured is equal to the signal in memory, the piece deduces that it has found the word "god". It then triggers the electronic bell and marks one unit on the electronic odometer. In this way, "Looking for God" tries to metaphorically replicate humanity's own pursuit of understanding the world.

looking for god image
. © fernando orellana 2008 Looking for God, Plastic, aluminum, PVC, electronics, electronic bell, odometer counter, General Electric Radio, Microphone, Size Variable, 2004