Darkloupe

Expanded Cinema
20 minutes
2012

wood
steel
plastic
glass
photographic material
halogen lamps
motor
super8 projector
Super8 film

image: Karel Doing
sound: Michal Osowski

Performances:
Cinémathèque Française (Paris)
Côté Court (Pantin)
Independent Film Show (Napoli)
Podium OCW (Rotterdam)
Art Cinema OFFoff (Gent)
Kaus Australis (Rotterdam)
Skolska 28 (Prague) - with Jesse Franzen
Lantaren/Venster (Rotterdam) - with Jesse Franzen

Darkloupe started as a work inspired by the ideas of Constant Nieuwenhuys, the creator of a utopian city, New Babylon, for a future where humans are free from physical work and can focus on playing and creating (Homo Ludens).

I used slides, a toy projector, recuperated lenses, and a motor to build an installation for a live set-up. I also made two small structures out of steel, glass and semi-transparent sheets of plastic and installed lights and Super 8 film projections to enlight these. I used a live video feed and video feedback to project images of this installation. After showing the results to sound artist Michal Osowski, he responded by creating a software controlled audio- feedback system, an instrument which can be played on by moving a microphone in front of a set of speakers.

Together we created an expanded cinema performance, in which our gestures with microphone and camera are of equal importance as the projected image on the cinema screen. The piece is performed in the middle of a cinema or gallery giving the audience the opportunity to engage with the installation, our physical appearance, the projections on the screen and the sounds.

The small structures expand on the screen into dynamic spaces. The sound envelops the audience and interacts with the camera movement and light intensity.