Thinking about that you can think — an audio-visual experiment in a full dome projection. The feeling of being inside a dome is somewhat special. It is a huge physical architectural piece above you and around you. Through projections it can be turned into an immersive environment, secluding the outside world from you, enclosing you in the experience. You get lost in space, the architectural borders are blurred. This experience is about you, so why not make it be you? The Metacognizer-experiment is a prototype for experiencing a real-time brain-wave interpreted analysis, intended for immersive environments such as full dome projections. The experience consists of an audio-visual representation of a persons brain-waves, an isolating, immersive environment and a brain interface for data-input.
Background
For inspiration and knowledge in how to create and use immersive environments we looked towards the art of light installations and sensory deprivation. Our goal was to try to create an environment where you could not distinguish the architectural borders of the space, an environment where you could not trust your own senses. The setup of a dome is similar to the ones of the american light artist, James Turrell’s Skyspace series. A skyspace consists of an outdoor room, with a semi-open ceiling and internally lit with flourescent lights. During dusk and dawn, people gather in these rooms. For hours they observe the shift of light coming from the sky through the ceiling. Another work that largely served as inspiration is “The weather project” by the danish-icelandic artist Olafur Eliasson. A giant floating sphere emits one single frequency of yellow light, accompanied by artificial fog and a huge mirror ceiling, made people lie down on the floor, observing themselves and others in the ceiling. With works by James Turrell and Olafur Eliasson as models, we performed visual experimental dome projections.
Experiments
Images 1-3 & 8-9: Two experiments in establishing and changing architectural perception. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OCmev8jQGY8 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QoKdbk-9aEY Image 4: Experiment with complimentary colors. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SunD0mpzKf8 Image 5: Experiment with sudden movement changes and depth perception. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-ZuayY57NMk Images 6-7: Experiment with mesmerizing patterns. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nxcwzwWs3I0
