Ruth Schnell was born 1956 in Feldkirch (Austria). She studied psychology and art history in Innsbruck, before she transferred herself to the Artistic and Industrial Design College, Linz, where she studied from 1977 to 1981. She continued her studies at the Vienna Applied Arts College with Peter Weibel up to 1988, when she graduated with a Diploma at the Visual Media Design master class. Since 1987 she is lecturer for video at the said college. She had numerous exhibitions of her works.

I have been working with computers since 1984 and I use them as tools to develop works in the electronic media arts sector. My interest in the first years concentrated upon computer animation and computer graphics. Besides my video sculptures I have been working since 1988 with simulated and animated real-size space. In this space, the computer does not only control sensors and programs, but gives a specific shape of expression to the works in real-size and thus enables me to create a virtual space.

Technical Background
R: Real door
P: Large-screen projection (back projection)
S: Sensors
T2: Computer animated door
C1: Camera #1 - the image is transferred to position C1'
C1': Selection from camera image of C1, visible when door is open
vtr: Selection from playback video, digitally enhanced
C2: Camera #2
C2': B/w monitor with image from C2
I: Image

If the visitor of the work "Door for Huxley" steps on the first step the sensors #1 and #2 are triggered. Sensor #1 initiates the animation — the computer-animated door opens and opens a view on image from camera #1. Sensor #2 starts throughput of sound (staircase sound and real sounds). After a pre-determined period, the animation is played backward (the door closes), the sound goes off.

The whole of P is computer graphics, excepting the door segments. vtr is a fixed door "opening" with digitally processed movie scenes. C1' is the door opening visible only when the door is opened (via sensor). It is the projection space for the live image from camera #1.