Here a video of the construction of "the Info-Structure" in the park of the Zuloaga Museum for Divergentes 2005.
http://www.artesdivergentes.com
Installation will stay till september. Click on the picture.
INFO-STRUCTURE
A geodesic dome dedicated to trans-cultural media monitoring and mapping / Ewen Chardronnet for Artes Divergentes
Concept
The Info-Structure proposes a media monitoring installation in a geodesic dome that watches the global infosphere of satellite media.
The Eutelsat Ku-band service in digital satellite media called « hotbird », is the largest satellite service in Europe with more than 1000 TV channels from all over the world. In the last years and in the context of the war on terror, we’ve seen a focus in web and satellite media on the « rogues states » and « terror organisations » of our times. Few months ago, we’ve seen the censorship and ejection of Eutelsat’ service of the Lebanon’ Hezbollah TV, Al Manar.This creates a precedent and we can imagine similar political pressures on problematic States or organisations who broadcast TV channels in Europe such as Iran, Syria, Cuba or others.
The installation explores this situation by showing live satellite TV channels, satellite tracking software, space surveillance imagery (Quickbird, Spot, Landsat, etc.) and archive of censored or closed TV channels (Al Manar, Irak).
What is the democratic position to have here ? What position to take when you have to deal in broadcasting with States or organisations that you can’t support ?
Orbital space where are located the satellites has no boundaries. Should it be the same for information ?
Without giving a definitive answer, the installation invite the public to think about these problematic TV channels by watching some of them. It also suggests with the entrance image a more positive impression : that we look through this with a trans-national angle, noticing that most of all the flags of the planet have stellar objects as symbols and telling by showing the ozone hole, that the preservation of the planet is more important than everything else.
The geodesic dome (10m diameter, 5m high))
Conception-fabrication : http://www.horserie.com
The world'first geodesic dome was built on the roof of the Carl Zeiss optical works in Jena, Germany, in 1922. The inventor was Dr Walter Bauersfeld, chief designer at the Zeiss works. It was developped later in the 1950’s by american artist and inventor Buckminster Fuller (http://www.bfi.org). The spherical structure of a dome is one of the most efficient interior atmospheres for human dwellings because air and energy are allowed to circulate without obstruction. This enables heating and cooling to occur naturally.Geodesic shelters have been built all around the world in different climates and temperatures and still they have proven to be the most efficient human shelter one can find.