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Two
Medialon MIP HD media player units along with a Medialon
Manager show control license are currently running on
“The Black Arch”, a collaboration work made by the
Artist Shadia Alem and writer Raja Alem to represent the
Kingdom of Saudi Arabia for its debut participation in
the 54th International Art Exhibition – la Biennale di
Venezia running in Italy from June 04th to November
27th, 2011.
Damien Lebrun and Nathalie Grassi from CYWEB, a
France-based company specialized in multimedia tools and
content development,
were in charge of the design, the production, and the
installation of the audio/images/lighting system, as
well as the programming of the Medialon show control
system.
“The Black Arch” installation is about two visions of
the world, of two cities – Mecca in Saudi Arabia and
Venice in Italy. The work is a stage, set to project the
artists’ collective memory, with physical representation
of Black (i.e. black silhouettes of Saudi women),
inspirational tales from Mecca, where the sisters grew
up, and as a counter-point, the second part of the
installation is a mirror image, reflecting the present.
When entering the room, the visitor is surrounded with
sounds as if he was entering the Mecca, where souk,
birds’ market, Mecca’s chivalric men dances and even
joyful wedding chants sounds are all mixed.
A polished steel oval, standing up like a dark looking
glass, is captured on the ground by a surface of chrome
marbles arranged of the same size. These two surfaces,
one vertical, the other horizontal, each a projection of
the other, are joined together by their reflections and
images which evoke Mecca and Venice that each of them
sheds.
Confronted by the black side of the ellipse, devoid of
perspective, but drawn by a glimpse of light beyond, the
viewer travels through an empty landscape, simply
described by the sound of the desert. Then the viewer is
passing a barrier to access the main installation: “The
Black Arch”. The arch is set upon a multitude of
reflective spheres that evoke an understanding of the
two differing cultures. The barren landscape of the
black side that draws the viewer into making the journey
is suddenly transformed, and a new and exciting vista is
discovered, full of life and energy. Here, standing, as
their gaze is cast from the cube - which is descriptive
of Mecca, to the arch symbolic of Venice and to the many
spheres -, the viewer becomes not only engaged with the
work but also an important part of it. The viewer’s own
image becomes apparent in an array of reflective
surfaces, overlaid with projected imagery and sound
thoughtfully selected from and representative of both
cities. This is augmented by hearing the gentle noise of
the water of and around Venice, confirming the setting
of this particular landscape.
“For The Black Arch, the artists wanted four audio and
two video projections sources along with a sophisticated
and lively lighting”, states Damien Lebrun, Sound
Engineer and Developer at CYWEB. “Of course, the video,
audio and lighting effects had to run simultaneously. We
also absolutely had to find a nice and easy tool to
create and synchronize the 30 spotlights with the audio
and images in situ in Venice, knowing that we would have
a limited time for the integration onsite”, adds Damien
Lebrun.
“It clearly appeared that two Medialon MIP HD media
players to play the 30-minutes media content including
audio and images files, associated with a Medialon
Manager show control software for the DMX lighting
control and the timeline with the Positrack (sync)
functionality were the ideal solution for this
project.”, declared Lebrun.
“We also needed a true reliable audiovisual
and lighting control system as the project had to
operate autonomously for the 6-month duration of the
Biennale exhibit. Medialon brought us this guarantee”,
concludes Damien Lebrun.
Commissioner: Dr. Abdulaziz Alsebail
Curators: Mona Khazindar and Robin Start
For further info, please visit:
www.labiennale.org,
http://saudipavilionvenice.com |
