posted on 2020-05-14, 00:00authored byDirk De Bruyn
Rotunda
History
Location
Zeiss Planetarium, Jena, Germany
Start date
2020-05-14
Language
eng
Notes
Rotunda is an experimental animation, partly abstract partly
diaristic, that migrates a materialism from 16mm celluloid film into a
new immersive setting. The film behaves sonically and is inspired by
the sound poetry of Frank Lovece’s “Sea of Language” and Marisa
Stirpe, whose voice gathers the film’s elements together.
Rotunda’s animations responds to our current preoccupation with
screens. This project was one of 24 selected projects from an international.
Research statement
Background
The flickering, speeded-up animation techniques and image clusters spread through this 360 degree environment are informed by the critical thinking of Vilem Flusser (migration and the technical image), Marshall McLuhan (4 Laws of Media and pattern recognition) and Henri Bergson (time and duration). This work also maps and explores the shifts of image collage to the patterning (McLuhan) associated with Visual Music (William Moritz) and Sonic behaviours (Jordan Lacey). These influences have driven much of the researcher’s previous works, but here, they come to bare on the full-dome environment. How do you communicate a narrative, addressing principles of pattern recognition and speed-up in a 360 degree full-dome environment? How does pattern recognition operate in an omnidirectional information intensive environment?
Contribution
Rotunda integrates the sonic capacities of 16mm film & sound poetry into a digital immersive environment that also addresses the specific intention to re-constitute a sonic poetry performance into a digital full-dome experience both visually and strategically positioning 5.1 surround-sound. This work moves the traumatic insights and artifacts developed through my performance work into a new technological immersive space where the artist does not need to be present. (The importance of this transition was further articulated at the Synesthesia Syntax Symposium at Isea, Vienna in September 2021) The production of this work identified new disorienting artifacts around vertigo and motion sickness that are being explored in further research in 360 degree projection technologies.
Significance
The Jena Fulldome Festival where this work was screened is the most important international showcase in this research area & the work was one of 15 works selected out of approximately 500 entries. This indicates a high level of international recognition for this innovative work in the most prestigious international showcase for fulldome work.
Publication classification
JO1 Original Creative Works – Visual Art Work
Scale
NTRO Minor
Extent
4K full-dome projection.
Event
Fulldome. Festival (2020 : 14th : Zeiss Planetarium, Jena, Germany)