Matthias Lehnhardt: Whirlpool of Misunderstanding
Title:
- Whirlpool of Misunderstanding
Artist(s) and People Involved:
Exhibiting Artist(s):
Symposium:
Artist Statement:
As a result of our telematic tradition, we view the computer not in its instrumental role in the realization of projects within our various departments, but as a media questioned of the role it plays in artistic communications. We are very critical of a premature euphoria, seeing alone through the sheer possibilities of these new technologies a revision or reversal of mass-medial communication structures. Interesting to us are phenomena and projects which, within the infrastructure of the new informations-technology, thematicize and endeavor to create conversation around the social conditions for generative, transformational information systems. The idea of the interactive installation (whirlpool) is part of the development for electronic communication around the Baltic sea area in Europe. We notice extremely different people in this region: from Estonia to Sweden, from Germany to Russia. And: there is a need for a free cultural exchange space, for an open structure to meet each other. At a final state the”whirlpool of misunderstanding” connects up to 8 different places (countries) via an own network (ISDN, Satellite), based on the internet protocol. The shape of the “whirlpool” looks like a “tipi” (half sphere), consisting of 8 segments (bars). Each segment contains a movable camera-display unit connected to a specific segment of an other”whirlpool” (point to point). The camera-display units are motor driven and synchronized. If you push a unit, the connected unit performs the same movement: up/down/left/right/in/out. The displays show live-material (camera/audio) or prepared material (video/audio) from the server (x-change-space on a www-server/ 3-D navigation). Specific positions of the unit actuate specific events. The installation can be visited via the internet (spectators).
Technical Information:
The shape of the “whirlpool” looks like a “tipi” (half sphere), consisting of 8 segments (bars). Each segment contains a movable camera-display unit connected to a specific segment of an other”whirlpool” (point to point). The camera-display units are motor driven and synchronized. If you push a unit, the connected unit performs the same movement: up/down/left/right/in/out.
Contributors:
Credits: Telematik Workgroup 97: Steven Adler, Catherine deCourten, Frank Fietzek, Jan Heise, Regan King, Karsten Korn, Matthias Lehnhardt, Matthias Mayer, Uli Winters.
