The node08 timetable is out now, and sounds amazing: advanced shader programming, virtual architecture, code your own nodes and more nerdy workshops will be offered. Plus lectures by Casey Reas, Paul Prudence, the VVVV group of course, and many more.
I’m going to give a beginners workshop, together with Katharina Mayrhofer. Workshop language will be English - Austrian or Bavarian just on demand ;)
Tickets avaliable soon, stay tuned.

Have a look at the full timetable here.

or: Ben van Berkel meets meso. Portikus/Frankfurt 2007.

ampop during the setup

In the last month I was part of a really nice project here in Frankfurt. Let’s start with some official words:
“Ben van Berkel & the Theatre of Immanence is a combined art and architectural exhibition wherein the different parts in the exhibition are synthesised into a complete whole. The exhibition stages a theatre or space of communication: communication between the visitors and the exhibited works, between the virtual and the real, between the different visitors in the gallery and between the different parts in the exhibition. Throughout its period, the architectural installation will serve as a hub for various events including lectures, art performances, and hosted talks with invited guests, DJ-sessions that are to be broadcast and more.”

Our part was developing a solution for projecting on the piece of architecture, and developing and implementing the interaction. We created a vvvv application which enables us to use the 3dimensional surface for our projections in a very comfortable way, and allows to using more than typical 2d content but also things like volumetric textures and virtual lights. We called it “a case study in augmented architecture”. It is an attempt to create a reactive surface of extraordinary spatial complexity.
The interaction works over the internet - you can try it here (only when the exhibition is opened).
The exhibition ends on January 13th.

Some of my photos made during the setup (that’s why the projections are not fitting perfectly!):

official post at meso.net / official site Portikus / review art-magazin (german) / review transform-magazine (click “interior”)

Vera-Maria Glahn and Marcus Wendt, both students at the School of Arts and Design, Kassel did a nice project, which they self describe as an “interactive sound environment”:

“The Orbiter takes possession of all senses. It is a place for visitors to lay down and relax, watching the firmament above them. With a small gesture, just pointing upwards, the visitor can insert new stars into orbit with unique visual and musical characteristics. The player is enveloped by the instrument; the music filling the ears, the body and space.”

I like the concentric design, which is in this case implemented with Processing. And exceptionally very mentionable is also the exhibition version’s interior design, which can be seen here.
Unfortunately it can’t be figured out well of the documentation, if and how good the interaction really works.

Links: Project microsite on Marcus’ Blog, Video

Crustea, the self-appointed AntiVJ did a quite interesting installation at ClubTransmediale/Berlin. Exactly mapped projections are wrapping the 3dimensional surface:

I’d like to present you a project I really like, from our friends from strukt:
The TagTool is an instrument for livevisuals, which enables the user to draw on a tablet, and use the so drawn elements for visuals. I saw it at the AViT>C23 in Berlin, and it’s really easy to handle. There’s no visible software interface - just 6 faders which are built in a case with the tablet lovingly. The most current documented use of the TagTool was in Linz, where they projected on huge urban objects. Take a look at the video, and don’t miss the last part with the crane!

preEnter is a audiovisual project which involves the audience in an interesting way: There are set up 6 flat bed scanners which people can use the way they like it and the results are being used for an audiovisual live performance later on. Watch out for the video documentation.
The people behind this project are from the german artist group YouAreWatchingUs.

Wow, Thyra Hilden and Pio Diaz create an impressing illusion of burning monuments, by using huge projections. They almost burned down Rome, and are now active in Scandinavia. On their website, they also release some technical information and sketches.

via Todd Vanderlin

As a fan and creator of the projected image, I’m a little bit afraid of its future use in the advertising branch. The cities could/will be dominated by blinking and attention catching videos on walls, grounds, and perhaps even clouds. But we’re still in the time where it’s fascinating when something moves where you don’t expect it. Two examples:

1. Beamvertising
A chewing gum company from the Netherlands drives around with a van, equipped with a beamer:
It’s really similar to the Nada Surf “Blankest Year” video from Kristian Davidek and Verena Soltiz

2. Motionposter
This concept uses the underground tunnels for advertisement space. In fact no projection at all (but monitors), but I saw a similar thing once in Munich, which worked with projection. Watch the videos on their website.

(via basic thinking and fresh creation)

I/O Brush from MIT Media Lab samples the world in images. It can photograph or record all kinds of visible objects, and uses them as brushes on a digital video surface.

The most interesting part is near the end of the clip.

More details at their website.

viZoo invented an interesting method for projecting objects in midair:

They are talking about “3d objects”, what’s not correct as I found out . In fact the projections are still usual two-dimensional videos as we know them, but the holographic part is nevertheless fascinating.
Another strange point is that there’s nowhere told how it works exactly. I would be interested in how the light becomes broken in midair, but can’t find any information.

I think we’ll see something like this in the advertising sector soon; but I’m more looking forward using it for livevisuals some day.