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topherz
21st September 2007, 05:23 AM
Hey VJs,

This post is a few things rolled into one. Mostly I wanted to just share a nice experience happening in Vancouver. Maybe its something like a gig report. But I post in collaborations topic - because thats whats at the core of it. And Id be happy to find more people in Vancouver to do this kind of thing with.

Been here about a year. This summer I got inspired by a public space on the Seawall and decided to do an event there. Many reasons, among others - wanting to bring something new and suprising in a public location - another: wanting to find collaborators. To respond to the existing art installation - we built 3 circular screens, 2.5 meters in diameter. We did the event. It was fun. It got people excited.

Few months later got involved with some other people putting something on. Once they saw the circular screens they decided that was the way to go and they built 2 more. 5.

Last month, a visitor to the first two shows, built 5 more screens with her students. They put on a 10 screen show.

Yesterday, she bought 10 ridiculously cheap dvd players on sale at Sears to add to the pool.

Everyones always able to round up the projectors somehow.

*

I dont quite understand the whole thing. Its something like: new people (that means - non "video people") seeing a possiblity for an event for the first time. Seeing that its not that hard. Understanding the enormous possiblity-space available with projections. And theres some kind of fascination with the circular screens. I cant explain that. You have to see a disk of visuals floating in an otherwise "normal" environment.

*

So the basic concept now is to continue to do public events with the screens. Events that are rooted in collaboration, are free, respond to the place they inhabit, inspire thought and communication. So I put a site together to promote the events - and as a repository for web tools (mailing list). We'll see what happens!

Maybe your city has a circle too?


Links to images, video, email list:
http://www.dandelion.org/events/circle/

cheers, topher

videoswitchboard
21st September 2007, 11:03 AM
fuck circles- go cubes!

http://www.pixelache.ac/2005/files/jenni-valorinta/pointless/P4160067.jpg

only kidding! there's room for all shapes and sizes... great concept and documentation.

We've been punting cube screens in workshops for over 5 years from Slovenia (http://www.thesoundsurgery.co.uk/pointless/break/break.html) to Colombia (http://www.thesoundsurgery.co.uk/pointless/pixelazo/index.html), evolving the screen design together with the communities building them... you're right, changing audiences perception with simple ideas is a great thing.

:hippy:
dav

many2
21st September 2007, 01:02 PM
What a nice story :) I hope this project will have a long life and that it will spread out to other cities.

topherz
21st September 2007, 06:09 PM
VideoSwitchBoard,


Yeah man! We have done cubes!
www.dimensionelevator.com

And I think many2 has as well. right? Blackbox?

Different topic, but im also really excited about the cubes - thats cool to hear that you have done workshops with them. Those links look great. Can i get British Council sponsorship if im from USA? ;P
Have dreamed of organizing an event (avit?) focussed on surround visuals. It could be a great experience to get people and companies together that are practicing - stretching this realm.

Many2, thanks. Yes, i hope it will continue. It seems to have good momentum now. Its funny to see it just going on its own.

-topher

vjpixylight
21st September 2007, 06:30 PM
Hey Topher,
we did a surround hexagonalim Dome as an AVit retreat (http://www.avitna.org/2005/html/event/index.html) in 2005..
Killing Frenzy has mentioned getting another retreat together up Seattle way..
Might be a good collaboration..

many2
21st September 2007, 07:04 PM
And I think many2 has as well. right? Blackbox?


Black_Box indeed :) I've done the cylinder too (ars_natura) ! but still haven't done circles...

videoswitchboard
22nd September 2007, 10:27 AM
Yeah man! We have done cubes!
www.dimensionelevator.com



wow!
like it loads.




Can i get British Council sponsorship if im from USA?


yes sir!
all you need is to be living/ working in the uk or be invited through one of their "visiting artists" programmes.
It's funny how each country has different ways/ scams for artists to support themselves and create- in some countries, they rely on sponsorship or gift economy, in others they are institutionalised and artists get a quasi-wage for doing what they do (intermitents in France?) . In the uk, grants can be generous but most of us have to pretend to be looking for "proper work" for years (the dole) in order to scrape a living and be creative.

:sign:
dav