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DOWHILE.CITY
DOWHILE.CITY is an interactive, multimedia database that showcases the
projects of over sixty artists who have been involved with Do While Studio,
including "From The Storm: Artists with Temporal Lobe Epilepsy (TLE)."
Do While will increase the number of participants as the project moves
from the physical constraints of the Studio to a global audience on the
World Wide Web. The project serves a dual purpose: to archive the events,
shows, members' work, and media coverage of Do While Studio; and to be
a "living document" of art, design, and interface developments
of present and future participants.
DOWHILE.CITY contains over 10 gigabytes of multimedia projects including
Do While newsletters, programs, events and an interactive directory of
the works of interns, members, and artists in residence. Included are Jeffrey
Ventrella's character animations created with genetic algorithms; Sara
Alfaro-Franco's stereoscopic fly-throughs; Joan Shafran's animated poetry,
Jennifer Hall's computer-controlled marionettes and EEG-directed animations;
and excerpts from Laura Knott's dances "Aqua Echo" and "Risk
and Relaxation."
In order to unify the diversity of concepts and techniques found within
DOWHILE.CITY, we engineered a graphical head-end to assist viewer participation.
Under the direction of Jennifer Hall, Ruth Tannert (a former graduate intern)
created a spatial metaphor- a three-dimensional matrix on a Silicon Graphics
Indigo (SGI) computer-to facilitate travel through Do While's past/present.
Users experience a sense of placement within a geometric landscape enabling
them to view the whole cityscape through translucent scrims as opposed
to a "flat" screen. This content-based, non-linear database responds
in real-time as the viewer moves through its recessing interface. The design
is innovative, educational and user-friendly.
Achievements: The DOWHILE.CITY project represents two years of research,
planning, and execution of ideas which have culminated in a unique software
package for the advancement of technology assisted art worldwide. It has
traveled - physically - throughout the world.
In Denver, Colorado at the Computer Interface Conference (CHI 95), DOWHILE.CITY was hailed as one of the most innovative
interfaces of the year.
Community Access: Do While Studio offers access to machines which are usually only available to members of academic institutions and expensive production houses. DOWHILE.CITY serves local communities while serving a virtually limitless global community. Many of those who cannot yet download the project from the World Wide Web will be able to see the project within a physical location - conferences, colleges, community centers, sacred-sites etc., as DOWHILE.CITY continues to tour the globe.
Viewing of DOWHILE.CITY is available to Do While Members. To
learn more about this project, or to schedule an appointment
please contact the Director at: jenhall@massart.edu
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