Shortlist 2013

The Arc Project

 

In the digital age we and everything around us is being transformed/flattened into information. Information loses all form, shapes and volumes and cannot be experienced in the “real” physical world. How can we preserve the experience of the physical forms in the digital/virtual world?

The Arc Project is a series of five 3D scanning booths scattered throughout the city of Bristol, reminiscent of familiar photo booths, yet instead of getting a photo, people can enter and get 3D scans of themselves or an object. Just after the 3D scanning, 3D models of visitors’ bodies or objects are uploaded on the web and placed into an augmented reality landscape of the location they were taken at.

At the site of each of the booths, there will be installed a "viewport", an iPad station with 360degree rotation, through which visitors will be immediately able to observe the augmented reality landscape around them. This is reminiscent of the classic viewports which you look through to see cities.

Visitors will also be able to download a phone app and view the world through the screen of their personal mobile devices or in an online web application of the project, so the augmented reality landscape can be viewed from anywhere in the world.

The Arc Project accumulates, conserves, and offers the experience, of physical forms in the virtual world, creating the city’s augmented reality museum of life. The virtual 3D space becomes an actual venue, on top of the pre-existing landscape of Bristol, where forms of its visitors have been captured and eternalized, by amassing 3-dimensional forms that pile up on top of each other and can be experienced in full volume and size. It is the aim of The Arc Project to preserve the experience of the physical forms in the digital/virtual world.

The project also examines the idea of collection, archivation and ownership both in the physical and virtual world. The creation of the virtual space that archives physical objects makes the objects in this space, as well as the space itself, a locale that cannot be claimed, but is universal, making it the first “real”, un moderated democratic public space.

The project will be installed around the city of Bristol for a duration of a month, after which a curated exhibition of 3D printed sculptures will be made of selected 3D models that were created during the process.

This Playable City Award is brought to you by:

Floating Point, an artist's collective based in Brooklyn, New York. They are Gabriella Levine, Kyle McDonald, Ivana Basic and Jack Kalish

As an artist team, Floating Point have installed successful small and large-scale public installations reactive to various real-time data streams, and often driven by interaction with the public. Their work has been influenced and driven by crowd-sourced innovation and inspiration, often using open source appropriated technologies in order to create new ways of visualising the human form.

They have exhibited internationally at Geekdown - 92Y tribeca, ITP spring and winter shows, Internet Week NYC, Ars Electronica Cyberarts 2012 (Austria); Ventana 244 (NY), DEAF, Transnatural and Witte de With(Netherlands); 319 Scholes (NYC); Meta.Morf 2012 (Norway); The Science Gallery (Ireland); Eyebeam Gallery (USA); ARCO (Spain), Opening Ceremony (LA, NYC), Tate Modern (UK).

Comments

I love this idea - well the 3D scanning part - virtual augmented reality tends to leave me cold - I would love to see people turned into tiny 3D prints

Posted by Adam (not verified) | 20 Dec 2012 at 08.38

I think the their take on the virtual augmented reality has an interesting twist-- the world you are transported to is pulled from existing reality. I like it. I would love to see this executed.

Posted by Diana (not verified) | 21 Dec 2012 at 22.23

great work!

Posted by Anonymous (not verified) | 4 Jan 2013 at 15.35

This is so cool! I will have to fly to Bristol if you install this just so that my body CAN LIVE ON INTO DIGITAL ETERNITY!!!!

Posted by Miriam (not verified) | 21 Dec 2012 at 19.43

Sounds awesome! I would definitely get myself scanned.

Posted by Jonny Goldstein (not verified) | 21 Dec 2012 at 20.37

What a next-level installation! I'm eagerly anticipating this 21st century photo-booth update - it sounds like a magically disorienting, out-of-body experience to see your 3D-rendered self in an augmented landscape!

I imagine this is how people must have felt in the 1800s, seeing themselves frozen in time on film. Augmented spaces + three-dimensionality spell the future to me. It essentially feels like VR for our generation, but artfully infused into the "real" world.

Posted by Saraswathi (not verified) | 21 Dec 2012 at 23.01

Floating point has done it again! A truly unique experience for all ages that catapults Bristol into the future. Bravo!

Posted by Allison (not verified) | 22 Dec 2012 at 00.29

I would love to see how children interact with The Arc Project. The ability to create your own toy version of yourself is already magical- but then the ability to have that object in a public setting could turn into a pop-up playground.

I'm also a huge fan of projects that combine physical and digital spaces, and can't wait to see how this piece pans out!

Posted by Natalie (not verified) | 22 Dec 2012 at 19.12

I think this is a brilliant and accessable way to facilitate the public to interact iwth these new technologies and gauge meaning and allow for chance . Beautiful proposal

Posted by Anonymous (not verified) | 22 Dec 2012 at 20.40

I like the relationship between the real physical and the digital realms in this idea.

Posted by Phil (not verified) | 22 Dec 2012 at 21.41

So cutting edge!

Posted by Anonymous (not verified) | 27 Dec 2012 at 18.31

Very inspiring proposal! This is a fantastic way to engage the public, highly technical yet very feasible and personal. The idea of eternalizing visitors reminds me of monuments of historic figures in city parks. Wow, with a month of scanning it would look like the Terracotta Army in China.
Can't wait to see this!!!

Posted by Tak (not verified) | 28 Dec 2012 at 02.32

Super cool! I love how accessible the artwork manages to be while presenting such an exciting new idea and experience for the participant.

Posted by Aaron Miller (not verified) | 28 Dec 2012 at 03.50

I think this project raises some interesting points about the way our bodies are already the objects of surveillance, but does so in an enigmatic and potentially beautiful haunting way. I would like to see what this augmented landscape would look like, how the traces of people present before you will take an actual shape, and ultimately gain a physicality.

Posted by Anonymous (not verified) | 28 Dec 2012 at 22.48

I am intrigued by this project. In a sense it is a poetic expression of freedom, presenting a blank space for anyone to leave their mark. Almost like a game of graffiti that does not alter the physical landscape. It is interesting to think about digital space as one that others can revisit, or tell friends to look them up and contribute to their memory. I see the booth like a mini time capsule, preserving and cataloguing this moment in Bristol. I think it would be interesting to expand this project and install scanning booths in other cities worldwide.

I hope to see this! It's inspiring and has made me think about a lot of things! Bravo!

Posted by Micaela (not verified) | 3 Jan 2013 at 02.07

This is a great platform and should totallyyyy scale into a series!!
Sounds amazing for each city to have a virtual reality museum of its "life".
And those places could totally be new "tourist locations" in the city!!SO smart!!!!

Posted by Maria (not verified) | 3 Jan 2013 at 08.57

Generally, I love the idea. Combining physical and virtual using cutting edge technology in accessible way to ordinary people. Simple way to immortalize and create work of art. Photo-booth reinvented. I would love to take part and this thing should go global.

Posted by Marc Anthony (not verified) | 3 Jan 2013 at 10.13

An extraordinary idea. Such a playful approach on top of strong conceptual basis gives this project so many layers to interact with.
It is totally like a fun fantasy where u can stumble upon different people and objects.
Beautiful and poetic way of using technology while at the same time asking relevant questions about it and about the world around us.
Really amazing project that has to happen!!

Posted by Ben (not verified) | 3 Jan 2013 at 13.43

great idea!! can't wait to see it! I hope to see it!

Posted by Lulu lulu (not verified) | 3 Jan 2013 at 15.01

This is actually one of the few augmented reality projects I've encountered where this medium is so smartly proposed and makes all the sense with the core idea.
Great project!

Posted by Goga Go (not verified) | 3 Jan 2013 at 17.12

Thank you everyone for such a wonderful support!!
We are so excited about this project and we can’t wait to bring the idea of the public installation to the next level with this piece.
We are so happy to see the genuine excitement and conversations happening as reaction to this piece!

Please share “The Arc Project” further with your friends, we want to hear from all of you!

Thank you,
The Arc Project

Posted by The Arc Project (not verified) | 3 Jan 2013 at 18.12

Thank you guys! This is such a beautiful concept and I hope to see it in real life. I have shared it on my blog. Good luck.

Posted by Anonymous (not verified) | 4 Jan 2013 at 21.23

This is very genius. Never thought such technology could used like this way. Extraordinary idea support the concept between the reality and the tech.
Awesome!

Posted by D (not verified) | 3 Jan 2013 at 19.53

sounds amazing!! familiar ( photo booths, body/figure of the self ) yet future-facing (3d scans, augmented reality ) ! I cannot wait to play with it!

Posted by yin (not verified) | 3 Jan 2013 at 22.05

This is great! Love the idea of having a virtual space on top of the real. Sounds like it could be a really cool interactive experience and something that I'd definitely would like to check out. Also a interesting use of new technologies. Great way of connecting them in a new and useful, yet playful, way. Hopefully it'll become reality!!

Posted by Tore (not verified) | 3 Jan 2013 at 22.19

I like the reference to the old and familiar photo booth futuristically updated with the newer imaging technology. We are so used to taking pictures a certain way, striking certain poses to accomodate the flat images we know they will create, with their familiar depths of field and compositions, and as a result we are so used to remembering places, and ourselves in places, in very specific ways. This treatment of 3d imaging of people in space creates a new way of looking at the self and people in public space, and a new way of remembering and capturing a moment. I hope this happens!

Posted by M (not verified) | 4 Jan 2013 at 07.12

3d imaging of people in space creates a new way of looking at the self and people in public space, and a new way of remembering and capturing a moment. - So true.

Posted by Anonymous (not verified) | 4 Jan 2013 at 21.16

Extremely interesting, makes you wonder and reflect upon the interactions of tomorrow. Also, what a great way to interact with the public, really engaging! sign me up for Bristol!

Posted by Dragana (not verified) | 4 Jan 2013 at 09.38

great idea and whole concept! I like the augmented reallity concept so much and such project would bring it so much closer to people to explore and get to know it! best luck, creative people!!!

Posted by indre (not verified) | 4 Jan 2013 at 09.55

this is awesome. I hope to see it become real.

Posted by sere (not verified) | 4 Jan 2013 at 15.32

fabulous!

Posted by Anonymous (not verified) | 4 Jan 2013 at 15.36

I love the idea of the 3D world superimposed on the city. I hope to see this in Bristol!

Posted by S (not verified) | 4 Jan 2013 at 15.42

An interesting way of preserving history. Using 3D modeling to rep ephemera, does that change the very nature of the environment itself? Do people interact with the environment differently knowing that they will be transformed into virtual 3D space? I wonder.

Posted by Alie Cirgenski (not verified) | 4 Jan 2013 at 15.43

I love the idea that people would start to interact with the space differently having the awareness of the way it was being recorded, and I am hoping we get to see what comes out of that!

Posted by Anonymous (not verified) | 4 Jan 2013 at 21.20

Wow! I visited Bristol many times as a child, I wish this had been there then! Sounds amazing (and super futuristic!) :-)

Posted by Camilla (not verified) | 4 Jan 2013 at 15.47

I love how this explores the ubiquity of 3D technology and the ephemerality of the digital space. This project connects the physical space to the digital in an ongoing feedback loop. I would love to play around and explore this!

Posted by Anonymous (not verified) | 4 Jan 2013 at 16.19

me too. Please let me know if this happens. I would like to participate.

Posted by Anonymous (not verified) | 4 Jan 2013 at 21.21

as an older person who grew up with booths for black and white photographs of myself and friends, i think this is THE COOLEST IDEA EVER. i would want to RUN to have an experience like this, and RUN WITH FRIENDS FOR A GREAT TIME. FURTHERMORE, THERE IS A LOT OF INTERESTING INFORMATION TO LEARN FROM THIS.

Posted by ruth levine (not verified) | 4 Jan 2013 at 16.32

incredible and innovative! so exciting to hear this will be displayed publicly:)

Posted by lij (not verified) | 4 Jan 2013 at 16.44

Brilliant Idea.
A shoe in... for the future.

Posted by Winslow (not verified) | 4 Jan 2013 at 21.04

Great idea. Very exciting and innovative. This can change the way we view the real world.

Posted by Stan Levine (not verified) | 4 Jan 2013 at 21.10

This sounds both informative and original. I hope these young people have lots of success with their ideas and the creative ways they implement them.

Posted by Katherine Snelson (not verified) | 4 Jan 2013 at 22.54

Multilayered and rhizomatic. Evokes feelings associated with teleportation, telepresence, presence, the archive, hauntedness, yet subtly resonating with a sense of discovery, exploration and curiosity. A 21st century equivalent of a World(s) Fair exhibition.

Posted by Jo (not verified) | 5 Jan 2013 at 01.42

having just returned from a beautiful trip, and feeling frustrated that i can't recapture it better, i especially appreciate these brilliant concepts and ideas. Life is three dimensional at least - The added dimensionality, the potential reminder of context -- is wonderful. Even the artists' collective ability to imagine the complexity of memory and perception - and how well they must work together to think so brilliantly - are all very exciting.

Posted by lynne (not verified) | 5 Jan 2013 at 02.04

Great work and ideas!

Posted by Milena Zivic (not verified) | 5 Jan 2013 at 02.54

This projects really seems to encourage active engagement/participation with one's environment and should be supported! Great job Floating Point!

Posted by Morgan L (not verified) | 5 Jan 2013 at 06.30

looking forward!!! Great idea engaging people to think and act more creative.

Posted by Saulius (not verified) | 5 Jan 2013 at 12.56

Amazing! Participatory projects always define new and interesting waves in human culture; Grateful to the people who are creating, implementing and bringing these Tech-Artwerk to us!

Posted by ss (not verified) | 5 Jan 2013 at 13.46

Fantastic Work! I can't wait to see it!

Posted by Gan-a-show (not verified) | 5 Jan 2013 at 15.09

Fantastic Work! I can't wait to see it!

Posted by Gan-a-show (not verified) | 5 Jan 2013 at 15.09


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