Larger than Life

Larger than Life

Herald Review November 16, 2014 

Andrej Boleslavsky an independent and new media artist from Czech Republic will allow people to appreciate the beauty in microorganisms through his Archibio project at the Story of Light Festival.

Science and art will come alive early January in the city of Panjim at India’s first science- meets art festival- The Story of Light Festival. Over 40 artists and scientists from 14 countries have confirmed their participation and will be descending on Goa to transform the city into a magical learning playground for UN’s International Year of Light 2015.

One of the largest interactive public installations at the festival ‘ Archibio’ will be set up by independent artists from Czech Republic Andrej Boleslavsky and Maria Judova. The experimental and contemplative project uses video mapping to explore the beauty of minuscule and microscopic life forms from bacteria, plants or an ant colony which otherwise remain invisible.

Video mapping is a projection technique that can turn surfaces into dynamic video displays.

The beauty of these organisms can then be appreciated as the project will magnify and project them onto a large scale public space- a building façade or a blank wall.

Andrej centres his project around the idea that DNA is the best software and began searching for ways to express this claim. His project comprises three scenes, all of them live streams from a microscope and two capture chambers. In the first chamber he will capture ants running in a small 3D printed model of the building and in the second one he will be making a time- lapse capture of growing plants.

The images will then be processed by computer so the projection precisely fits the building. The process, called warping takes some hours to set right and Andrej will be carrying the microscope, cameras, chambers and computer.

Since one of the projected scenes is a live stream from a microscope, the audience will be participating, changing microscopic slides with samples. “ In the Czech Republic I was projecting growing trees, climbing ants and microscopic samples. It would be great if I can find some suitable life forms in India and adapt the project,” he said. The organizers are trying to find the best location for the project evaluating feasibility and architectural quality of the building which will be mapped. Video mapping gets tricky when it comes to production cost and projectors rental price. It goes exponential with the size of the building.

Andrej’s fascination for art and technology began in his childhood. “ My grandfather was a watchmaker and both my parents worked with art. I see both art and technology as platforms to share interesting ideas and materislise them. I guess I’m addicted to complexity.” He created his first video- mapping project in 2010 and hasn’t stopped experimenting since with new media since. One doesn’t always need big buildings and large budgets to create interesting video- mappings he says. Instead he tries to bring something new to this medium each time.

He will be visiting India for the first time and says the project will be open for everyone to interact.

Along with Archibio he will also setting up a light-painting workshop where he will engage the public in creating long exposure photography with programmed light sources.

The festival will be an educational experience for participants and passersby as various installations and workshops will be scattered along the promenade overlooking River Mandovi. Screenings, dance performances, installations, photography workshops, live projections, panel discussions will all form part of the festival.

The five day festival beginning January 14 seeks to dispel myths about science and bring fascinating concepts to life by allowing people to better understand them through interactive methods.Review Bureau

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