TECH & DEV

A wicked little thing called the VOS_player
(what makes it all possible..)

The work of Performing Pictures relies on the technology developed as a part of an artist-led development of the early cinematic installations and distributed video productions by Robert Brečević. This practice could be described as somewhere in-between video art and independent game production. The VOS Player (short for Video-On- Surface Player) is a full scale editor and player that allows for the display of simultaneous video streams and real-time switching between different clips.

The 'behaviour' of the movie is controlled through a specialized scripting language – using metaphors for creating constructs of several layers of video played side-by-side and seamlessly stitched together into larger video frames. The VOS Player with its scripting language also has a large array of functions for mapping virtual movements of the camera in panning, scrolling, tilting and tracking.

Metaphorically this kind of work deals with extended techniques for parallel montage of clips played side-by-side, spatial issues such as creating panoramic views out of several shots and other synthesized coherencies within a single room or view. It also deals with the furthering of visual language in relation to responsiveness and agency – pealing off layer by layer of RAM-buffered video streams with an instantanious effect in switching from clip to clip. In terms of syntax, the VOS-player introduces a special language where shifting between loops and transitional clips to next loop is a clear attempt to relativise the time-based nature of movies.

 

Video peep boxes for the heritage sector

In collaboration with Evoking Spaces - a new media company working with development and implementation of interactive museum installations, and the expertise centre Forum for Cultural Heritage, we produce custom-made interactive peep-boxes for museums.

The boxes are based on the museum’s own themes and topics through enhanced video. With our creative approach we bring historic paintings, photographs or objects to life in a way that attracts a broad spectrum of visitors.

While using the aesthetics of the traditional peep show, our boxes are based on video composites rather than still images or objects as the historical peep boxes. Parts of the scenery are cut out in several apparent layers with material properties such as shadowing in order to invoke the classical toy theatre. The entire installation runs of a single laptop with external speakers. User interaction is controlled via a sensor and a micro-controller. Performing Pictures brings paintings and photographs to life through the entire process of set and costume design, shooting and video compositing and use the custom-built VOS-player to allow for real-time editing. Evoking Spaces works with the physical box design, which is unique for each motif and environment. Forum for Cultural Heritage provides expertise in the area of museum pedagogy, visitor studies and art history.

In early 2008 we are producing a peep box for the Stockholm City Museum, which is based on the concept of the research prototype Electro Bacchanalia, which was developed at the Interactive Institute during 2007 in order to investigate how Old Masters’ paintings could be made more accessible and relevant for young people visiting art museums and galleries. Electro Bacchanalia toured Europe as part of the exhibition Interactive Salon in 2007.

Electro Bacchanalia is a modern interpretation of a peep show, set in a traditional 17th century style wooden box. One side of the box displays a replica of the painting. In the middle of the painting the visitor finds a small peeping hole. When looking into the box through the painting, a stage-like setup of the painting is revealed. Two of the characters – the faun and the woman in the center of the painting – are brought to life in the scenery inside the box. As music flows from the box, the couple starts dancing.