GIVEN

• series of five intelligent interactive video-sound installations or architectural projections controlled by hand and body gestures
• 6K video projection with 4 channel interactive audio
• video projection 11.5 x 2.6 m (38 x 8.5 ft) or larger
Don Ritter, 2020

video contents:
:00 description of Given project
1:11 Given the water
2:55 Given the mud
4:35 Given the plants
5:55 Given the fire
7:10 Given the smoke
8:35 visualization of architectural projections
9:20 discussion of concept

Given enables the public to participate as symbolic characters within five chapters of a surrealistic narrative. One character wears a gas mask, another has a water-wheel for a head, and the third has a small gas burner for a head. Up to three persons can simultaneously use hand and body gestures to direct their characters to fly or walk within large projected environments of flowing substances. Participants can influence the position, orientation, and shape of their own character, the other characters and the various objects in the environments: frame structures, fences, spinning blades, gas burners and air vents. Navigation by the participants is accomplished without any sensing devices attached to their bodies.

Each chapter within Given provides participants with a different aesthetic and metaphorical environment based on ancient substance metaphors.

water: first matter
mud: growth
plants: life
fire: destruction
smoke: transcendence

exhibition configurations:
1. exterior architectural projection with interactivity: video and sound (optional) controlled by public
2. exterior architectural projection without interactivity and sound (optional)
3. interior gallery installation with interactivity: video and sound controlled by public
4. interior gallery installation without interactivity


Technologies within Given include natural user interfaces, full-body motion tracking, motion recording and playback, simple artificial intelligence, interactive 3D animation, inverse kinematics, 6K interactive multi-channel video, multi-channel interactive audio, and video projection mapping and blending.


Don Ritter                 concept and production
Luna Leung              primary production assistant

video shoot assistants
                                  Ken Davy
                                  Dan Richardson     

motion testing dancers
                                  Dahlia Caro                             
                                  Lucy Fandel                                    
                                  Luna Leung

Don Ritter acknowledges the support of the Canada Council for the Arts