[spectre] Marnix De Nijs, Exploded Views, remapping Florence at CCCS

Thu May 15 11:21:20 CEST 2008

Marnix De Nijs, Exploded Views, Remapping Florence
CCCS, Strozzina Contemporary Culture Center, Florence (Italy)
from 15 May to 30 June 2008
http://www.strozzina.org/exploded_views/#english

It's dark, you step onto a treadmill, start 
running, and see Florence by night spread out 
before you. Deserted and wonderful: as you have 
never seen it before. As the mood takes you let 
it totally absorb you.

Marnix de Nijs aims to create a dynamic visual 
and complete body experience in his Exploded 
Views - Remapping Firenze, a new multimedia 
interactive installation.

The work comprises two industrial treadmills 
placed in front of a huge screen showing (part 
film, part computer graphics) the deserted 
streets of a virtual Florence. The action of the 
observer's body is the determining factor: the 3D 
images are set rolling by the physical effort 
made by the viewer. Images of an imaginary, 
"poetic" Florence where real architectural shots 
explode into an infinity of pixels. The speed of 
the observer/runner has a direct impact on the 
intensity of the aesthetic experience. In the 
work of Marnix de Nijs, the observer becomes the 
protagonist. The interface between the body and 
technology hands over control to the viewer who 
decides which direction to take and how to up the 
intensity of the images traversed.

While the visual world represented concentrates 
on the concept of emptiness, on the total absence 
of any human imprint and on the sheer beauty of 
the spaces, the acoustic element takes on a new 
dimension with a store of sounds registered in 
the city.

"The work Exploded Views - Remapping Florence" - 
says Franziska Nori, project director of the 
Centre for Contemporary Culture Strozzina 
explains - "was made especially for the CCCS. 
It's the first of a series of works by leading 
international artists who have been invited to 
Florence to create site-specific works that 
reflect the diverse realities of this city"

The visual material in 3D draws on the latest 
experimental technology developed in the 
Fraunhofer Institute in Darmstadt, Germany.
De Nijs is the first artist to make use of this 
technology, which makes it possible to combine 
cinematographic quality with interactive 
graphics. Students from the Master Course in 
Communication Design at ISIA, Florence assisted 
De Nijs in the creation of the project.

Marnix de Nijs is based in Rotterdam. He is 
engaged in exploring the dynamics between the 
human body, machines and other technology. 
Trained as a sculptor, de Nijs is now best known 
for his interactive machines which play with the 
perception and control of sounds and images. He 
has gained international recognition as one of 
the leading exponents of interactive sculpture.
His work has been represented at national and 
international festivals and museums: the DEAF 
festival in Rotterdam, the DAF festival in Tokyo, 
the 6th Shanghai Biennial, the ARS Electronica 
festival in Linz, the Itau Cultural museum in Sao 
Paulo, the Transmediale festival in Berlin and at 
the Millennium Museum in Beijing. The Stedelijk 
Museum of Amsterdam is now considering the 
acquisition of sculpture by Marnix de Nijs for 
its permanent collection. In 2005, Marnix 
received the 'Witteveen & Bos Art and Technology 
award' for his important contribution to the 
field of Art and Technology. He has also received 
honourable mentions from 'Vida 5.0 Art and A-life 
award' in Madrid, from the 'Transmediale Award' 
in Berlin, from the 'Prix Ars Electronica' in 
Linz on two occasions. In 2000 he won first prize 
at the 'Art Future 2000 Award' in Taipei
http://www.marnixdenijs.nl

The Marnix de Nijs project "Exploded Views - 
Remapping Firenze" , in collaboration with 
Fabbrica Europa, is sponsored by the Royal 
Netherlands Embassy and is part of "Olandiamo?- 
the Cultural Festival celebrating 50 years of the 
Dutch Institute of Art History in Florence".

Exploded Views - Remapping Firenze

Produced by:
Marnix de Nijs, Rotterdam
Centro di Cultura Contemporanea Strozzina (CCCS), Firenze

Co-produced by:
The Netherlands Media Art Institute, Montevideo/Time Based Arts, Amsterdam

Audio-design:
Boris Debackere, Antwerp
http://www.rotorscoop.net/

Scene Reconstruction:
Structure From Motion: Noah Snavely (University of Washington), 
Multi-View Stereo: Michael Goesele, Sebastian 
Koch (Technische Universität Darmstadt)
http://grail.cs.washington.edu/projects/mvscpc/
http://phototour.cs.washington.edu/

3D authoring and game implementation:
Blender Institute Project Apricot, Amsterdam
http://www.blender.org/

Game Engine:
Crystal Space 
http://www.crystalspace3d.org

Technical Production assistance and making-of material:
Prof. Antonio Glessi
The students of the Master in Communication 
Design, ISIA (Istituto Superiore per le Industrie 
Artistiche) Firenze
http://www.isiadesign.fi.it

Special thanks for the research in Florence to:
Maurizio Bossi, Gabinetto Scientifico Letterario G.P.Vieusseux

Opening hours
15th May - 8th June 2008
Daily from 10.00 - 20.00
Thursday 10.00 - 23.00
Monday closed

10th - 30th June 2008
Daily from 12.00 - 20.00
Monday closed  

Tickets
Full price ¤ 5,00 ¤ (valid for one month)*
Reduced ¤ 4,00 (Touring Club members)  
Schools ¤ 3,00

*max 5 entries

Press office
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press at clponline.it
press release and images:
http://www.clponline.it/mostre.cfm?idevento=E2F9AF86-91E4-FB5B-77E95692E47385FD

Fondazione Palazzo Strozzi
T.+39 055 2776461/ 06 - F. + 39 055 2646560
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