From cyborgs to cockfights, the Tampa Museum of Art (TMA) offers visitors a unique range of exhibits to choose from. To keep you up-to-date, The
Oracle takes a look at some recent exhibits.

Don ZanFagna Cyborg NotesJan. 28 to May 6

An avid environmentalist, Don ZanFagna created his Cyborg Notes series in the late 60s and early 70s to warn people of the potential danger of DNA mixing.

The exhibit featuresmultimedia collages that combineelements of computers and humans. The outline of nude men and women on futuristicspreadsheets is a recurringimage in the collection and isrepresented as both humorous and foreboding.

In Cyborg Note 3, anoutline of the male genitalia islabeled Infinite Input while the female hips are given the titleHorizontal Holds. This piece presents sex as a Junction and takes away human sexuality, replacing it with mechanical reproduction.

While visitors filed in and out of this exhibit, a young boy stood speechless in front of Cyborg Note 157.

John Cage 33 1/3Jan. 28 to May 6

While originally created in 1969, John Cages 33 1/3 Performed by Audience wasinstalled in commemoration of the centenary of Cages birth.

John Cage is known for his experimental pieces thatrely on chance and improvisation. 433, perhaps Cages most famous composition, is
performed with musicianssitting silently while theaudience listens to the sounds of the surrounding environment.

The 33 1/3 exhibit isanything but silent. It contains 12 record players and a widecollection of vinyl. The barrierbetween audience and art isremoved as museum visitors choose their favorite records and play them at whatever volume they desire.

The chaotic sounds of33 1/3 depend on the taste of the audience, providing limitless ways in which to perform thecomposition. Some preferredto play 12 records at once. Others battled The Beatles against The White Stripes, and one woman turned off all but one record to hear the voice of Marvin Gaye fill the room.

Various Artists Masterworks of 20th Century Sculpture from the Martin Z. Margulies Collection Mar. 31 to Sept. 9

As a comparison of different representations of the humanfigure, this exhibit displayssculptures from a variety ofartists.

Some of the sculptures ondisplay are nearly human. A quick glance could mistake GeorgeSegals Three People on Four Benches for living people
resting at the museum. In the positions and expressions of thesculptures, Segal captures complete loneliness andalienation as part of everyday life.

Willem de Koonings bronze sculpture also represented afigure on a bench, but lessrealistically. Woman Seated on a Bench takes on a compact, rough form and is a more surrealof the human. The only easily definable body partsin this sculpture are the hands,which are Koonings gloves
covered in bronze.

This gallery of figure sculpture was the most crowded of all the exhibits, with people lining up to read descriptions of each work.

Erik Levine Object Image Mar. 10 to Sept. 23

Erik Levines exhibit explores the complexities of power and masculinity with overbearing sculptures and biting videos.

It is impossible to miss the large plywood installation in Levines exhibit. The 14-foot sculpture is comically named Hand Held and will remain on permanent display at the TMA. While the size of Hand Held makes it stand out in the room, the subjects in Levines videos are just as difficult to ignore.

His work cocker brings the audience through the eventsleading up to a cockfight. Thevideo focuses on the ways in which men train their roosters to fight without hesitation. The piece does not show the actual fight, but keeps sight of the empty box that the rooster once inhabited.

A video about horse races, post time is similar to cocker in that it does not actually show theanticipated event. Levineignores the horse race andinstead delves into the loneliness of men who spend all their timebetting on horses. Single shots ofdisheveled men staring at the latest race results are accompanied byupbeat jazz music.

Many people entering the gallery left after the first fewminutes of cocker and incidentally missed post time.