Periscopista
Thijs Biersteker and Amp.Amsterdam created this magical interactive installation, a giant, misty cloud above a lake that can be controlled by the festival crowd through video feeds, sound and movement, resulting in an overwhelming psychedelic cloud.
With this interactive installation the aim was to break down any boundaries between the festival and the crowd, by designing a mist installation that is as curious about you as you are about her. When you look at the installation, she looks back. If you give her attention, she will flourish in psychedelica. If you shout , she echoes back and if you dance with her, she will dance with you.
The visuals morph according to the movements, recorded by motion capture cameras, of festival goers. The audio is an ambient bed that subtly changes as crowd noise picked up by several microphones increases and diminishes. Sensors, hidden in poles around the festival terrain, provoke interaction between the installation and the crowd, with live streams giving video input on the screen, and motion sensors and audio input influencing the animations. In charge of the illustrations were the in-house illustrators of Down the Rabbit Hole Festival, the talented brothers Merijn and Juriaan Hos.
The installation was designed modularly to be sustainable and with room for annual expansion, as new pieces can be added to the framework indefinitely. The installation was built by the Better Future Factory using old plastic bottles and even car dashboards to 3D print the elements of the installation.
Periscopista won the first ever Grand Prix run by fronteering Dutch festival Down The Rabbit Hole, an award to encourage artists to push the possibilities of festival art installations.
More Thijs Biersteker > 17.12.2015
www.thijsbiersteker.com
amp.amsterdam
www.betterfuturefactory.com