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note of intention
Far Near is a new example of 'communication scenography', unlike the
Virtual Tunnels/ Tunnel under the Atlantic, or the Paris-New Delhi Tunnel
-which linked "diggers" thousands miles away; FAR NEAR (e-motion) works
as a local and worldwide network. This work recreates the technological
distance between two people in the same space. However, the simplest things
become complex...For example, it is difficult for each digger to stay
remain in contact with the other. The communication-link between is influenced
and varies according to feelings and sensations emanating from all over
the planet. The network is a semblance of the global body, it functions
as a huge nervous system, making the diggers sensitive and aware of the
pain of humanity and it's possible effects. During the exchange, each
digger experiences a loss visually or otherwise of the other person, the
remaining signal is the result of the ravishes of violence, excess communication
and economical factors. The pain is dull, however, it affects only the
exchange, not the physical body.
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description
The installation will consist of a room with three, independent, screens/walls.
On both opposing walls, two rear projections (up to 2m diameter) allow
the "digging" simulation to occur and represent the two ends of a tunnel
linking two people. The two visitors are placed back to back. As each
'digs' he/she cuts circular holes into a video image that has become an
infinite collection of flat stills - generated at video speed i.e. 25/fps.
The digging takes place until he/she discovers image of the other.
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Both participants dig simultaneously. Each
digger realizes that if he doesn't keep up digging with the other he is
only sees the next most recent captured images. Thus, if the digger speeds
up, he will find himself in the future and encounters a black image. If
he slows down, he will be in the past. This an asynchronous video communication.
During this activity, the two diggers can converse via a microphone. Although
the image is not well defined, the sound is very clear. |
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The signal that links the two diggers will
follow a random path around the planet via Internet. Through war zones,
places marked by pollution, poverty, IT communication saturation. The signal's
path will be projected on a wall between the two diggers'. When the Internet
signal passes through one of these troubled zones, the communication between
the two diggers is affected. Picture is altered, distorted according to
the nature of the attack. |
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Internet
: the World nervous system
On the front wall, between the two diggers
the public sees a visualization of the signal's path around the planet
as a graphical net. Zones of violence are represented are colour coded.
Four or five maps will be created in real time making the density of violence,
pollution, poverty, communication visible. These maps will be superimposed
onto the global representation of the planet where the only other visible
factor is the signal moving from one node to another. Globally, many web
servers (mostly university servers) will have the software to randomize
and re-route of this virtual signal.
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the
Violence Maps
Internet filtered
zones of pain. For the complete version, Far Near would include software
that builds dynamic maps of the world's metabolism in real-time. The principle
is to use the capacity of meta search on the web to establish links, thanks
to keywords, between events and locations. For example, the frequency
of mentioning the terms war, bomb, explosion, victims, close to a country
name will increase the density colour of this country on the 'violence'
map. The result of using an automated process creates a false representation
of reality perceived according to media coverage of events instead of
objective criteria. The Internet provides filtered visions of the world
that impact our daily lives. Such a tool could build a unlimited number
of media maps of the networked World.
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the sound
by Jean-Baptiste Barrière
The sound is also disrupted when the signal goes through
these 'zones' The intensity and quality of sound varies according to
the nature of the crisis, going as far as possible, making the communication
almost impossible. The sound distortion is at the root of the picture
deterioration. It is composed of: - pre-recorded sounds, real time sounds
from radios serving the disrupted zones, thu, creating a type of sound
matrix. Some real time sound samples will be pre-recorded and used as
a back up in case of radio reception fails or is unavailable.
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