In the wake of digital distribution and projection of cinema film, new possibilities emerged for artists to intervene in a room that has, over the many decades, been designed and developed to give the optimal experience of projected images and electro-acoustic sound
On a winter day in Tromsø, one of Norway’s northernmost cities, a live transmission of a performance at the Metropolitan Opera in New York was projected in more or less realtime at a local cinema. This conjures up wonderful images.
Others see possibilities in communal large-screen computer gaming, and also Bingo I have been told.
In 2007, I had six performances with different projects in a series I called “D-Cinema Dualities”.
Hooking up my computer to the, at the time, newly installed digital projector in the main cinema-hall at the Norwegian Film Institute in Oslo, I presented a live or realtime project containing sequenced stills, time-lapse loops and multi-channel sound presented in the format 2K, a digital film standard at the time.
In the events I presented possible changes, or development in images that in traditional photographic terms would be experienced in frozen states. Accentuating or hinting at stories or content one may not easily be read off the still image.
I situated myself close to the front row (about row three or four) in the cinema hall, only lit up by the computer screen and the MIDI-controller
A large part of the soundscape is made in realtime using a head microphone. The voice was then heavily processed. Additional pieces in the soundscape were prepared loops, triggered in software. The images and the sounds were played out from the computer situated in the projection-booth.
Each sequence had poetic intent and lasted on the average 5-8 minutes. All decisions in the linearity of the presentation were made there and then. Presented as a succession of decisive moments instead of striving for one perfect one felt strangely un-photographic.
Some of my first public steps were as an actor in the Scene 7 theatre-group (1970-75). An experimental theatre at the long closed, but at the time, quite influential, Club 7 in Oslo. Having to use presence and body I feel somehow returning, or fulfilling a cycle in this project.
After the presentations there was an artist talk, questions from the audience, and experience shared and gained.
Posters from the 6 events.