Generator III - an installation by Lech Twardowski with interaction and sound by Paweł Janicki

Generator III - large scale interactive installation

Generator III as an installation is combined with mega-sized painting objects and technique of sound and graphic interactive presentation. Installation is made up of painting object in form of wooden podium and central field with screen; three hanging painting objects and interactive music and screening system with infrared-sensors, which are controlling sounds composition and projection of images. Sensors, hidden in installation, are activated by movement of spectators; next computer program is transforming impulses and transferring them to sound and image generator. Electronic image, which shows the flow of energy, is projecting on the screen located in the central part of podium and built of salt.

Space is surround by three hanging painting objects made of frames covered with texture of paper tape (length 130km) and paint. Thick texture of lines, created by covering tape with a paint, then rolling and sticking with back to surface is for Twardowski a method of recording time and events, but first of all of recording painting gesture.

Painting objects were constructed with segments made with use of technique consisting in sticking edges of painted paper tape to wooden surface. The segments dimensions based on square (0.7m x 0.7m), and artist use three kinds of segments - 6cm, 8cm and 10cm width. All objects are vertically oriented. Three objects are the record of painting gesture and energy in time.

Podium - stage, on which audience is moving, has got its own artistic form. Viewers, walking on it, are activating infrared-sensors placed over painting objects.

All phisycal elements of the installation - painting objects and stage - was projected and created by Lech Twardowski.

Generator III is a complex, generative audiovisual piece, combining traditional means of expression typical to fine arts with the spatial sound technology, computer animation and interaction. The installation is equipped in a spatial sound and video projection, a infrared-sensors system detecting the presence and position of visitors, and a computer with software installed, which operates the sensors, sound and projection.

The visitors, walking through the stage space monitored by the movement detectors, create musical and graphical, generative structures, which depend on dynamics, direction and other features of the peoples’ actions. Sound and graphical environment are steered by the software, which provokes the visitors to non-standard, spontaneous and emotional reactions through adequate controlling of dynamics, shifting routs and other sound and graphic qualities.

Interactive system developed for installation provokes the visitors to spontaneous reactions through adequate controlling of dynamics, shifting routs and other sound and graphic qualities. Interaction between visitors and system is non-linear, without quasi-behavioral, action - reaction hard connections. System working good with single visitors or groups up to 12 - 15 persons at the same time.

Interactive media system for Generator III was created by Pawel Janicki

Impulses from sensors are transforming by software in dynamic generated sound environmet and visualisation of movement energy. The square screen (4,20m x 4,20m), poured with salt, is the installation centre.

Salt-screen working as kind of light-synthesizer with ultra-low latency and dynamic, amorphous and impressive performance algorythm. The source digital animation from a projector is projected on screen and salt filtered light to give a different condition of picture: granulas of the salt working like sophisticated optical structure of lens and mirrors. Picture keep quality: is still clear and bright, but additional filtering makes animation more natural, with high saturation of colors (like showed from optical tape). Thanks to this projection technique animation and phisical objects exists in the same artistic space.