Flow in a Lift

2003

Gil K (Wiggle) (US) (JP)
Han Hoogerbrugge (NL)
Jeroen Beltman
Tatsuya Yoshida

Experience a man’s imaginary journey through the landscapes of our time and experiment for the first time with the capability of actively intervening in a music video.

“Flow in a Lift” is an interactive video based on “FLOW,” a work that resulted from the collaboration of Han Hoogerbrugge and the musical group Wiggle and was conceived for the Internet. “Flow in a Lift” is a special adaptation of this installation for the elevator in the Museum of the Future.

In contrast to the passive consumption of music videos as has been typically practiced up to now, this project makes available an interaction button that enables the user to actively intervene in the playback process. There are six different sequences that are played back during individual elevator rides—some only during trips going up, others only when going down. The music video’s soundtrack and visuals are also modified in accordance with the movements of the elevator car.

Han Hoogerbrugge, a visual artist in Rotterdam, usually inserts into his works a caricature of himself—a man in a suit, who can also be seen in “Flow in a Lift.” Wiggle featuring frontman Gil K. consists of a quintet of musicians from Tokyo, San Francisco and Perth who had never met personally prior to their work on this project. The guest vocals were contributed by the Tokyo prog-punk duo “The Ruins.”

The Internet version of “Flow” received an Honorary Mention in the 2003 Prix Ars Electronica’s Net Vision / Net Excellence category.