VIDEO ARCANE Mining a Bowling Alley at the North Avenue Market

Abstract

Video Arcane is an interactive exhibition where the audience was invited to create a live mix of video and animation projected on the back walls of an abandoned bowling alley where the pins used to fall. The exhibition highlights part of Baltimore Citys treasured passed. Until1988, the upper floor of the North Avenue Market held a thriving duck pin bowling alley. In order to explore these nearly forgotten treasures,10 artists mined the bowley alley while animating, documenting and extracting audio and video from the site. The artists are Fellowship students from UMBCs Imaging Research Center, mentored by interactive artist and Professor Lisa Moren. The students built light sensors that were attached to found objects scattered amongst bowling lanes, and viewers were invited to explore the dark space with flashlights. As light found its way to an object, a horizon of video began to mix and layer images and sounds where the bowling pins used to be. These sensors triggered 4 video projections along the wall where the pins used to fall. In addition to the flashlights triggering light sensors, a drum set and trumpet were rigged with trackpads and light sensors. When a drum was struck or a trumpet button was pressed, an audio clip from the archive was played over speakers. Technical:-Flat trackpads and photocells, which were handmade and manufactured from Infusion Systems and Making Things.-Gluion and Open Sound Control (OSC), produced by Sukandar Kartadinata.-Isadora interactive mixing software, programmed by Mark Coniglio.Mentored by Lisa MorenIRC Fellowship Students:Agnes AsplundElena DeBoldEvan DevineAlex EhrensbergerDan FrickFrank OrellanaErnest PowellAbbey SalvoTommy TruongMegan ZlockThis exhibition was made possible with the generous support from UMBCs Imaging Research Center. We wish to also thank UMBCs Department of Visual Arts Film/Video Cage for additional equipment.Very special thanks to Michael Shecter and Carolyn McGuire-Frenkil.© Lisa Moren, 2008