blindage. is the french word for a wall, a shield or an envelope, which protects what’s inside. The project by nita. (AT) focuses on the use of digital masks by contemporary human beings. It is divided into three chapters: fleurêve, synanthrope, and abîme. Each one translates metaphors into visual art by using dance, taxidermy and handmade organic masks – a mélange of analogue and digital techniques: overhead projection, microscoped organic footage, and digital intervention focusing on ways to camouflage reality. As façades are also masks, the project invites the audience to peek beyond the Ars Electronica Center façade.
Idea, masks, visuals: Anita Brunnauer (nita.) (AT)
Camera, edit: Benjamin Skalet (simp) (DE)
Audio: simp (DE) & STSK (DE)
Technical support: Leonard Prokropek (AT)
Postproduction, motion graphics: Ludwig Tomaschko (AT), Benjamin Skalet (DE), Anita Brunnauer (AT)
Vocals, protagonist chapter nº1 “fleurêve”: Sophia Hagen (soia) (AT)
Dancer chapter nº2 “synanthrope”: Paz Katrina Jimenez (cat) (AT)
Protagonist chapter nº3 “abîme.”: Emily M. Dominguez Castillo (soulcat e-phife) (AT)
The Connecting Cities Research Residencies have been realized at the Ars Electronica Futurelab with the support of the Ars Electronica Residency Network.
Ars Electronica Blog
“I have the feeling that we don masks on a daily basis—for example, on social media sites. That which we expose to the outside world rarely reflects the way we really feel. I also think that the Ars Electronica Center’s LED façade can be a sort of mask in that this stylish outer shell effectively veils how the people inside feel.” Read more on the Ars Electronica Blog!
Connecting Cities is initiated by Public Art Lab in cooperation with Ars Electronica Futurelab Linz, Medialab-Prado Madrid, FACT Liverpool, Videospread Marseille, iMAL Brussels, Riga 2014, BIS Istanbul, m-cult Helsinki, Media Architecture Institute Vienna, Museum of Contemporary Art Zagreb, in association with Aarhus University, Marseille-Provence 2013, MUTEK Montreal, Quartier des Spectacles Montreal, Foundation Bauhaus Dessau, Verve Cultural Sao Paulo, Federation Square Melbourne, xm:lab Saarbrücken, Sapporo Media Arts Lab, ETOPIA Zaragoza, The Concourse Sydney and 403 International Arts Center Wuhan.
With support of the Culture Programme 2007-2013 of the European Union.
Find more information on www.connectingcities.net