"Samples of the Ghats" is an interactive installation that invites its audience to re-create the ghats of Haridwar/India. Visitors re-compose its atmosphere by triggering locally collected audio and visual samples. This aims at exploring new forms of narrative.
/ Description /
A 5 metres long structure framed with technology features a panorama of an ancient indian city. Intriguing, it acts like a magnet, an appeal to curiosity and exploration.
Cruising along the panel the visitor soon discover that he can “play it”. With the simple move of his hands he launches media sequences. They are audio and visual samples, pieces of Haridwar, collected and edited in a way to generate an atmospheric feel of the ghats.
In a collective experience, the panorama comes to life and the adventure can begin...
/ Research /
“Here it is about exploring sensitive ways of delivering the information.
On the content:
The elements displayed are audio and visual samples of the Haridwar/india.
They were selected and edited because of their particular role in the social
aspects of the Ghats. No comments on them, they appear and produce their effect
as you interact with the installation.The result is a sensorial virtual unreality
journey into the Ghats.
On the narrative:
Interacting with the installation, the audience determine their journey. Therefore,
narrative significantly bonds to interaction.
There are 2 levels of interaction. The first is individual, when each visitor launches audio and visual sequences. The second is collective, indeed you share what others have triggered, you also physically interact with them as the cruise along the panel with you.
On the message:
Rather than delivering a message through logic it operates on the level of
emotion, thus being a sensorial gate to a city and its culture.
/ Tech /
Reports/Clips :
Using a Nikon CoolPix 5M pixels camera for stills
Using a Canon MV500i for video
Content :
Layouts were designed in Photoshop
The clips were edited in premiere and imported in Flash
All flash files were converted into avi format and compressed to be exploitable
in Max MSP Jitter.
Structure :
Alluminium structure
Rear projection screen
10 Infra-red detectors Interface-Z
2 analogics Interface-Z
2 Projectors
2 Sound Cards Hercule 16/12fw
2 Midi Sport 1x1 interface
10 set of creative speakers
/ Sketches /
/ Team /
The project was created and developed by Philippe Chollet in collaboration with Gauthaman Ravindran.
It involved contributions from Evi Cmarova and André Chollet.
/ Exhibitions /
The installation was exhibited at the Cité des Sciences et de l'Industrie
- Carrefour Numérique during summer 2006
within the framework of "Cliquez Vacances" and Rencontres ECM (Espaces
Culture Multimedia). French title: "BollyPlage".
The installation was exhibited at Mindplay conference in January 2006.
/ Selection /
The project is a Rhizome Artbase selection.
Also thanks to Rui Cepeda, Yvette Chollet, Sema Demir, Alex Garacotche, Ros Hanmer, Stephane Juguet, Chris Lane, Dimitra Markogiannaki, Martin Messias, Elena Moschini, David Mulugeta, Pat Power, Michaela Reiser, Angelo Santucci and Ian Waller.