Our first Microworld in America is a 4 screen show at the Eckert Art Gallery, Millersville University.
We’ve been working with the Lumen Prize for several years and an opportunity came up for us to put on a show on an ecological theme in Pennsylvania state at Millersville University which runs courses in science, arts and entertainment technology. The distances involved meant we would not install the show ourselves but hand it over to the local team at the Eckert Art Gallery who were interested in exploring how a digital show could work. This would be a new venture for all of us and an interesting challenge. The Gallery would provide the projectors and physical infrastructure and we would send across the PCs, software and sensors. Could we simplify the setup to do it remotely?
We’re pleased to report that it has worked! The show has been running for a couple of days and using Skype in the Gallery we have been able to balance out the pieces and bring the show together. A job which usually takes a stressful couple of days at the end of an install.
Lots of photos here on Flickr
So a big thanks to Heidi Leitzke for taking on this challenge together with technicians Chris and Mike and some of the students who will also help run the show. Hopefully they find the digital ecosystem interesting as a piece of art and also as a demonstration of the flexibility of digital technology.
We introduced a new work called Hector and the Sunstars and rewrote Multiple, Animats, and Aeroplankton so that Heidi and her team could adjust the parameters within the programs without having to recompile them, and made some other features self-adapting depending on the sound and light in the space. This approach has worked well we are now thinking of how to bring this kind of self-adaptation into all of our Microworld pieces, of course, with over-ride functionality if needed.
Anyway back to Millersville – the show is on until March and there are a couple of special events which will see musicians and performers play with the pieces and invite the local public into the space.
MICROWORLD
Presented by Lumen Art Projects
Evening Reception: Thursday, February 6 from 5:30 – 7 p.m.
Same night as Yamato – The Drummers of Japan at the Winter Center. Plan now to attend the free art reception and then the performance, order your tickets here.
Family Day: Saturday, February 8
Drop by anytime between 10 am – 1 pm.
Kids of all ages are invited to come play in Microworld. Together we’ll explore a world of creatures programmed to respond to your movements, sounds and colors.
Our friends from the Lancaster Science Factory will be at the gallery with other fun STEAM activities.
And the address if you are lucky enough to be in this part of the world is :
Eckert Art Gallery
Winter Visual & Performing Arts Center
60 W. Cottage Ave.
Millersville, PA 17551
