Semaphore

INFO-STRUCTURE / Divergentes 2005

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.

Thanks to Xabide and Ikusi.

OPEN SKY

Open Sky from Ewen Chardronnet on Vimeo.

Ce film a été réalisé en 2003 sur l'initiative Acoustic Space Lab pour la Maison Européenne de la Photographie de Paris et son Festival Art Outsiders. Il aborde l'idée de conversion et inclut le travail sur le radiotelescope RT32 en Lettonie et le projet Makrolab. Il faisait partie d'une installation plus large qui incluait le projet Radio-Astronomy de Radioqualia et la video du RIXC.
En 2004, Makrolab et Radio-Astronomy ont reçu le prix UNESCO Digital Arts comme dauphins du principal prix décerné aux Indiens du Sarai Media Lab.
L'installation "Open Sky" a reçu le Prix Leonardo Art-Outsiders Nouveaux Horizons 2003. Liser l'annonce du prix en anglais et clicker sur la photo pour voir la vidéo.
----

This film was made in 2003 on the Acoustic Space Lab initiative for the Maison Européenne de la Photographie in Paris and its Festivval Art Outsiders. It deals with conversion idea and includes the RT32 radiotelescope in Latvia and the Makrolab project. As part of a larger installation including Radio-Astronomy project by Radioqualia and RIXC video.
In 2004, Makrolab and Radio-Astronomy were awarded UNESCO Digital Arts behind main prize given to Indian Sarai Media Lab.
The "Open Sky" installation received the Leonardo Art-Outsiders New Horizons Award 2003. Read the Leonardo Announcement and click on picture to see the video.

----

Leonardo/ISAST News announcement

Prix Leonardo - @rt Outsiders / Nouveaux Horizons 2003
awarded to Ewen Chardronnet and art collective on OPEN SKY project

Leonardo/ISAST and the Paris based @rt Outsiders Festival are pleased to announce that the "Prix Leonardo - @rt Outsiders / Nouveaux Horizons 2003" has been awarded to Ewen Chardronnet and associated arts collective for the work OPEN SKY.
The jury particularly noted the innovation of the work of the Acoustic Space Lab network and the art groups federated around the OPEN SKY project : Rasa Smite, Martins Ratniks, Raitis Smits, Radioqualia and Makrolab.

OPEN SKY is an installation set by Ewen Chardronnet on the conversion of the soviet-era radiotelescope RT32 of Irbene in Latvia in the context of the on-going research projects of the Acoustic Space Lab collective. The RT32 is a 32 meters former espionage antenna converted to radioastronomy and fondamental science. Since 2001, artists, radio-amateurs and scientists work together to explore the tactical and artistic possibilities of the dish.
http://acoustic.space.re-lab.net/

The jury also awarded a special mention to the installation" FILE /AIR, The Ambiguity of Limits" by Kitsou Dubois and Eric Duranteau .The work translates documentation of the work of Kitsou Dubois in zero gravity parabolic flight in the context of an installation with powerful poetic and sensory impact.

The Jury consisted of : Roger Malina (Astronomer and President of the Paris based Association Leonardo ), Frank Popper (Professeur Emeritus - Université de Paris 8), Alex Adriaansens (Directeur of V2 in Rotterdam), Isabelle Rieusset Lemarié (Maître de Conférence in sciences Information science at the IUFM of Versailles), Hervé Michaud (Conservateur at the Musée d'Art Moderne de la Ville de Paris), Michel Jaffrennou (Author).
The Prize was awarded to one of the art works exhibited at the European Museum of Photography, Paris in the context of the @rt Outsiders Festival dedicated this year to the topic of SPACE ART. Roger Malina, Henry Chapier (Président of @rt Outsiders Festival ), Annick Bureaud (Director of Leonardo Olats) et Jean-Luc Soret (Artistic Director of [email protected] Outsiders festival ) made the award which includes a 1000 _ prize ; in addition the winner has been invited to publish his work in the Journal Leonardo (MIT Press) and present his work publically to the Leonardo Networks.
The purpose of the Leonardo New Horizon awards is to recognise new types of emerging work at the intersection of the arts, sciences and technology and to make this work known to a broader audience

The Leonardo Prizes and this Prix "Leonardo - @rt Outsiders / Nouveaux Horizons 2003" are co sponsored by the Art Department and par le Center for Technoculture, University of California, Davis, USA. Leonardo Prizes are awarded by the Leonardo Prize and Awards Committee chaired by Professor Lynn Hershman of the University of California, Davis.
Press Contacts
@rtOutsiders Festival: Yannick le Guillanton - Tel : 01 44 78 75 20 eMail : [email protected]
Leonardo/OLATS : Annick Bureaud, @nunc.org

Leonardo/ISAST : Melinda Klayman, @
Further information on the Leonardo Prize and Awards program can be found at http://www.leonardo.info

Further information on the @rt Outsiders Space Art Exhibition and Conference can be found at http://www.olats.org

http://www.art-outsiders.com/fr2_expo.html